Only Time
by Benevolent Destruction
Summary: Time together is just never quite enough. When you and I are alone, I've never felt so at home.  What will it take to make or break this hint of love? Only time, only time.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hello, there. This isn't my first fic, but it will be my first for Ninja Assassin. After watching the movie and seeing that the film didn't do Mika and Raizo's chemistry justice, I had to write something. This fic's theme is the song Saltwater Room by Owl City. I do not own the rights to the movie or song. Please, feel free to R&R (read and review). :3 I'd also like to give a special thanks to by fantabulous Beta, **Luna Rei**. -applause- Thanks, hon~

And, without further ado...

**Only Time**

_Time together is just never quite enough_

_When you and I are alone, I've never felt so at home_

_What will it take to make or break this hint of love?_

_Only time, only time._

**Chapter 1: Tanjao**

It was a cold, silent night.

Mika lounged in a recliner on the balcony, enjoying the picturesque scene before her. The sparkling lake, turned a navy blue in the darkness, sparkled and glinted from the light provided by offices and food establishments. A sigh pushed through pouty lips. It was nice to finally get away from it all. Europol, the Ozunu, Raizo… After the incident in the mountains three months ago where Mika earned an itching scar just above her left breast, the mysterious ninja had vanished. The brunette wondered idly what he would do. He no longer had a master—a clan to kill for. If she remembered correctly from her research, he was an orphan. What family did he have to fall back on?

She stood slowly and raised her arms high above her head and stretched. She then lazily wandered inside of her quaint hotel room in search of some pineapple juice. She would be returning to the city and to her busy, monotonous life at Europol in the morning.

Another sigh left her lips.

* * *

"What's wrong? You've barely touched your food."

Warm brown eyes looked up into ones of matching color. She smiled. "Nothing." Despite her words, she continued to push her food around in the Styrofoam box.

Ryan forked some beef into his mouth and chased it with a bite of salad. "You'd think that you'd know better than to lie to me. I've been your partner for how many years now?"

Her smile melted into a grin. "You want the truth?"

"Nothing but."

"Okay." She took a steadying breath and closed her eyes. She could do this. "I still think about him," she blurted out. She said the words so fast they seemed to slur together.

He needed no further explanation to know who she was talking about. The graying male rolled his eyes and the corners of his lips turned down into a scowl. "Not this again. Mika, I told you, just let him go. He's long gone by now and probably doesn't even remember us." He was obviously agitated. "He's a homicidal mass murderer. Do you really think he'd even remember you?" The condescending tone in his voice was hard to miss. It was like he was questioning her intelligence.

"You don't know him…," she murmured.

"You don't either!"

"Whatever, Ryan." She closed the Styrofoam container in one fluid motion and was on her feet in the following moment. She heard him calling out to her as she stormed off, but ignored him. What the hell did he have against Raizo, anyway? His words became a faint murmur as the distance between them grew.

On her way back to her car, she tossed seven bucks into the trash. She had barely even touched her lunch. Why couldn't she eat? Something was gnawing at her, telling her that something was amiss. She rolled her eyes in frustration, fumbled around in her purse for her keys, and got into her car. The drive back to the Europol Headquarters was a relatively peaceful one. Sure, she had left Ryan with no ride back, but he was a big boy. He could find his own damn ride.

Once inside the building, she shrugged off her coat and stripped the scarf from her neck. It was the beginning of spring in Berlin and the temperatures were blessedly low. She couldn't stand the heat. Dressed in a simple long-sleeved shirt that fit snugly around her bust, a pair of flattering denim jeans, and boots, she plopped down in her chair. Once Europol had found out about her involvement in the destruction of Ozunu, she was promoted to Head of Operations—meaning that the gunmen and special ops groups were under her command. Ryan was displaced and moved to her former job with a slight pay raise. Mika thought the promotion was fitting.

After about three hours of sifting through mind-numbing paperwork and enduring a maddening, obscenely long, and boring conference call, she decided she had earned a break. She tried vainly to rub the growing migraine from her temples. She needed something to take her mind off of the stress. _Anything_. Then, it hit her. Her eyes suddenly brightened and she logged on to her computer. Using special data keys and classified access codes, she easily maneuvered into Europol's databases. There, she found what she was looking for. Raizo and the Ozunu. Just reading over the two names made her shudder and her heart leap.

As she expected, there was nothing on his whereabouts. So, she decided to do further research into the Ozunu. Did they have brother or sister clans? Were they apart of something bigger? After toiling away and staring into a glowing screen for a couple hours, Mika was ready to throw her hands up in defeat and shut the damn machine off, when she got a lead. It was faint, but it was _something_. There was another clan. Tanjao? Upon reading further into their history, she found that although they didn't communicate much with Ozunu, they shared most of their beliefs. They were a rather silent clan that kept to themselves. And, well, there wasn't much more to it than that. The only interesting piece of information she learned was that whenever they did come out of the shadows and 'handle business', their ninja would leave a circular piece of steel with the head of a lion in its center at the scene. It was called the Seal of the Lion.

Mika's eyebrows came together in curiosity. What did the Seal represent? What did it say about the supposedly 'calm' clan? She didn't have much longer to ponder because a box popped up on the computer screen. It was a reminder telling her that her shift was up. She instituted such a reminder to tell the workaholic side of her to give it a rest. She shut down the computer, put her coat and scarf back on, and left.

* * *

Mika felt cozy and warm on her living room sofa, thick blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She had a bowl of fresh chunks of pineapple in one hand and the remote in another. After flicking through channel after channel of reality show garbage, she finally happened upon the news. A serious looking blonde in a tight blue suit was on the screen, speaking of the horrifying death of the manager of one of the local banks. Parts of his body had been found strewn throughout his home. The surveillance cameras in his condo hadn't caught the killer enter, or even exit the building. The only clue the murderer left behind was a circular piece of metal.

With the carving of a lion's head in the center.

"The Seal of the Lion," Mika breathed. Holy _shit_. Talk about your coincidences. She turned up the volume, trying to get more of the story, but she was too late. The reporter tossed it back to the newsroom to check the weather. The brunette flung the remote across the room in frustration, not even caring as the batteries jumped free and rolled about.

Mika was already an admiring fan of the ninja and their mysterious ways, so it didn't take long for her want to figure everything out about Tanjao to take root. She _had_ to get her hands on that Seal. Who knew? Perhaps it held the secret to Tanjao's whereabouts or a hint as to what their ideals were. So, she decided to call up the one person she knew would have any chance of gaining access to classified information.

"Oh, look who it is."

"Hey, Ryan."

"That's it? Just a 'hey, Ryan' after you left me stranded earlier?"

They sat for a couple moments in silence. He was waiting for an apology and she was waiting for him to give up the idea.

He snorted and she could tell he was rolling his eyes. "What do you want this time?"

"Did you see what just popped up on the news?"

He scoffed. "How couldn't I? That bank manager's death has been all over every news channel I've watched."

"So, um, do you think you could do me a favor?"

"Oh, God, what now?" he sounded exasperated.

"Could you maybe, oh, I dunno, get your hands on that Seal thing for me?"

"What? Are you insane? You want to go poking around in ninja clan business _again_? Do you not recall what happened three months ago?"

"Yeah, yeah, I remember. It's just I'm…"

"Curious? Nosy? Too stubborn to know when to quit?" he finished for her.

"Thanks."

He sighed and went silent, seeming to mull it over. After a while, he yawned and switched his cell to his other hand. "Fine. I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks! Oh, Ryan, you're—"

"But I am not getting involved this time. I'm sorry to say it, Mika, but you're on your own with this one."

"Yeah," she sighed, "I understand. Thanks a lot for the help."

His chuckle was dark. "Don't thank me yet."

* * *

In the morning when she came in to work, the brunette found a manila folder on her desk with her name scrawled on the front. Inside was a sticky note that read:

Sorry, but this was the best I could do.

Eagerly, she stuffed her hand inside of the bag and removed its contents. She was disappointed but grateful at the same time. He had managed to get photographs of the Seal but not the actual Seal itself. Which was understandable. After all, a man was just murdered the night before. There was no way in Hell the police were going to just loan out their sole piece of evidence to anyone who came asking.

Mika spread the pictures across her desk; looking for miniscule engravings, words etched into the metal, a way it could be used as a key to unlock something. She quickly yanked open a drawer in her desk and retrieved her handy dandy magnifying glass. She closely examined each picture once, twice, and then thrice. Her efforts seemed fruitless. Was there even anything to _find_ on that piece of steel? Then, she noticed something. In the opened mouth of the lion, something was engraved! Even with her magnifying glass, Mika had to squint to read the writing. She scrambled for something to write with and something to write on. Finally! A breakthrough. Once she had copied the words down, she looked over her neat, lacy script.

"Inter terram et caelum. Aquis multis quasi magistro…," she murmured. What was that…Latin? She knew four languages: German, English, French, and Spanish. Latin was said to be a 'dead' language so she didn't bother to learn it. She only went as far as learning the prefixes and suffixes incorporated into English words.

Skilled, delicate fingers flew across her keyboard as she typed the words into a translator. Translated directly, the words meant: Between the earth and the sky. Him as a master of many waters.

Mika fell into her chair—a smile plain on her face. _I've got something. Even though it's vague and cryptic, I've finally got something._

The brunette waltzed up to the receptionist's desk in the front of the building and flashed her a smile. "Hold my calls and push my meeting back to tomorrow at three. I'll be back soon." The old woman behind the desk nodded and scribbled something down on a pad next to her.

Mika had finally gotten a lead and she wasn't about to let it slip away.

* * *

As she trudged through the streets, the roads slick from a previous rain, Mika couldn't help feeling a bit guilty. She was taking time when she should be at work to investigate a little fascination of hers. She wouldn't be missed, though. Being Head of Operations sounded like a soul-sucking, imposing job, but it was just filled with completing mounds upon mounds of paperwork. In triplicate. Mika shuddered at the thought of returning to her office only to find a monument of papers awaiting her.

She pulled her coat closer as a sudden gust of wind picked up and blew across her face. Her nose was probably a soft hue of red from the cold and her shoulder length, curly, brown hair had been blown back and away from her face.

After turning around a few corners, she arrived at her destination. The brunette wasn't surprised to see yellow tape, police, and investigators scattered about. She looked up and chocolate-toned orbs scanned the building. She was glad she had come in the middle of the day. Walking anywhere alone at night—especially with the possibility of ninja lurking around—unnerved her.

Mika eventually gave up trying to get in through the front doors of the building and settled for the alley at the back. She walked along the narrow passageway for sometime before finding what she was looking for. The circuit breaker. There was yellow tape around that too, but Mika managed to maneuver around it and pry the small metal door of the circuit breaker open. It was just as she thought. The wires had all been cut. She looked up, searching for an open window. Sure enough, the only window that was open was open by, at the most, three inches and yellow tape surrounded that too. Yep. It was definitely ninja they were dealing with. The question of the day: Why? "Inter terram et caelum. Aquis multis quasi magistro." She recited the Latin words aloud, trusting that no one could hear her. "Tanjao, Tanjao…," she murmured, "Where are you?"

* * *

Mika locked the doors to her car and headed towards the front doors of her apartment building, only to stop and take notice of a man standing on the outskirts of a park across the street. After looking both ways, the brunette crossed the street and walked up to him. Her smile was small as she turned her body to mimic his and looked up at her building.

"What're you looking at?"

"Power's out again."

Her heart nearly stopped. "The power's out? How'd that happen?"

He shrugged. "Who knows? It's pretty strange, though. One minute, everything's on n' bright, next thang ya know, lights out."

When she didn't speak, he looked at her and grinned. "What's got you spooked? You're too pretty to be lookin' all scared."

The softest shade of red danced across brown cheeks. "Oh, it's nothing," she said, trying to assure them both. "It was nice talking to you."

He winked. "Yeah. You too."

As she walked away, she could feel his probing eyes on her back. She shuddered. But it wasn't out of disgust. It was out of fear. Had Tanjao decided to target someone in her building? Did they know she was attempting to track them?

Before entering her apartment building, she fished around in her purse for her mini flashlight. She switched it on and entered the building cautiously.

It was strangely quiet. Everyone seemed to be inside their homes or just out. She swallowed. Her limbs shook as she crept up the old cement stairs to the second floor. Every now and again her beam of light would jump to a corner or behind her when she thought she heard something. It was hard to hear anything, really, with her heart pounding against her ribs and ringing in her ears with its erratic pulse.

When she reached her door, her keys nearly fell from her hands, they were trembling so badly. Once she finally managed to unlock both locks, she pushed the door open with the toe of her shoe. Mika shined her light all around; into every corner she could possibly find. She took one step. Then another. Slowly, she entered her home shrouded in darkness. The moon wasn't visible from her living room window, so she only had the faint light of the street lights outside and her flashlight to go by. Everything in her home was either black or a dull grey. As she wandered further and further into the room, she felt bumps rise along her skin and the air became colder.

"Hello?" There was silence. "Hello?" she tried again. Then, her light fell on something. It was a bundle of a stark white clothe on the back of her couch. She passed her narrow kitchen and walked into the adjoining living room hesitantly, head constantly turning. Once she had convinced herself (barely) that she was safe, she reached out for the clothe. She ran her fingers over it and found that there was something hard in its folds.

Her palms started to sweat and her breathes became shallow. She gently and carefully unfolded the fabric until it was spread out across her hand. What she saw made her heart skip two beats and made her head swim.

The Seal of the Lion. She wanted to cry, she wanted to shout.

Suddenly, there was an arm around her waist and before she could scream, a hand over her mouth. Mika whimpered like a poor, defenseless little girl. The flashlight fell from her hands. Her purse fell from her shoulder.

Then, there was a dark, calm voice in her ear. "Mika…" Male. Familiar. _Well, he's obviously not here to kill me or my head would be rolling on the floor by now._

She didn't respond. She was shell-shocked.

The intruder whirled her around and stared her dead in the eyes. She felt paralyzed. The ninja was clad in all black, katana strapped to his back. Then, he raised a gloved hand and tugged his mask up and over his head. Raven locks fell down and around his shoulders and a bold smile played upon his lips. "Mika. It's nice to see you again."

**-End-**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Hooray! Capitulo Dos is finally here~! I'd like to give a warm thank you to those who have reviewed and my Beta **Luna Rei**! Thanks for being patient with me... . Enjoy~

**Chapter 2: To Paris! **

Mika damn near fainted. She was expecting to find a malicious grin beneath the mask. She was expecting to find a skilled assassin. She found one of the two. She found Raizo.

Her hand came up and clutched the right side of her chest where her heart lay—still beating at an alarming rate. "Dear _God_, Raizo, you scared the Hell out of me." She clenched her eyes closed and tried to even her breathing and the pulse of her heart. She was way too upset to just smile and welcome him back with open arms. Sure, she was glad he was back. After all, it was him she'd been searching for in the beginning, right? But he nearly gave her a heart attack, for Pete's sake!

He rested a consoling hand on her shoulder and continued to smile, enjoying the sight of her fear. He got a kind of twisted pleasure in seeing her so vulnerable. Her skin was just as soft and chocolaty brown as he remembered, her hair as long and voluminous, her eyes as warm and loving. But…there was something different; something new. He sniffed the air. Pineapple?

"I'm sorry. It's strange that we should meet again as we did before. Fortunately, there's no one out to kill you this time."

She was rubbing the bridge of her nose, as if trying to rub away the shock. "Whoopee. Lucky me." When she turned her head to see his hand on her shoulder, he quickly retracted it. She shot him an inquisitive look. "So, you disappear for three months, don't even write, don't even bother to call," she laughed at her dramatics, "and decide to suddenly show up in my house?" She gazed at him through squinted eyes. "_Why_? And what was the point in killing the power? And this thing?" She held up the Seal of the Lion.

He swallowed and looked left and right—anxious. After a moment, he heaved a sigh and grabbed her arm. "I can't do this. Come with me." Before she could question him, she was being dragged to her living room window. He quickly threw the window open and pushed her against the sill. She looked down to see her car parked right where she had left it beside the sidewalk one story below.

"You're going to have to jump."

"What? Why? This is why we have stairs!"

"Too slow. They're already coming. I should have been back by now." His hands balled into fists and he clenched his jaws together.

The gears in her head were spinning. Too slow…coming…should have been back…? She gasped in realization. "You _were_ here to kill me!"

"And now I'm here to save you. You need to jump. _Now_."

She tossed him a glare from over her shoulder.

"Trust me."

She scoffed and placed a foot on the window sill. "Don't try to dissuade me." Because she knew if she waited a second longer she would talk herself out of it, Mika jumped. It was a fairly short way down. She was prepared to tuck herself into a ball and attempt to roll upon impact with the sidewalk, but something broke her fall. Rather, some_one_. Raizo had suddenly appeared at the exact location she was to fall—arms outstretched. Damn ninja and their abilities to move through the shadows. He grunted due to her sudden weight, but quickly adjusted. He carried her to the driver's side of her vehicle and set her down gently.

A bit frazzled, Mika straightened her coat and flipped her hair behind her shoulders. She cleared her throat. "I suppose you want me to drive us somewhere?"

He nodded.

"Well, hotshot, sorry to disappoint, but I don't have my—"

Raizo raised a hand with a key ring around his middle finger.

"…Keys."

He tossed her the keys and she caught them with both hands. "Just get in."

* * *

He wiped condensation off the glass with two fingers and peered out the small clearing they provided. The parking lot was empty, save Mika's car and that of the couple two doors down. They would be safe for the night. Raizo had already ordered the brunette into the bathroom for a soap-less shower and had lit a cigarette to eliminate any traceable odors.

The smell of the nicotine and smoke burned his lungs, but it was a necessary evil. After he was sure that their scents had been masked, the well-muscled male closed the blinds, put out the cigarette, and took a seat on the bed.

Not a moment later, the door to the bathroom opened and steam emptied into the room. Mika stepped out in all her glory: water-drizzled skin, hair clipped messily on her head, angry pout on full lips.

Her cold gaze fell upon him and she pulled her towel tighter around her chest. "So…what am I supposed to wear?" She followed his eyes to the pair of jeans and turtleneck folded by his side—all black. She sighed and rolled her eyes. She waltzed over to the bed and as she bent over to pick up the articles of clothing, muttered, "This is what I get for missing you."

"What?"

Mika looked up to meet his eyes and the pain in chocolaty brown orbs was hard to miss. She shook her head simply and frowned. "Nothing."

After she had returned to the bathroom to change, Raizo just sat there. Expressionless. He rested his hands on his knees and breathed deeply. Thinking. He had said 'what?' if only to get her to say those words again. Of course he had heard her. Even from a few feet away and with a wall between them, Raizo could make out the sounds of her slipping into her jeans, zipping them up…

But there was a question in his mind and it gnawed at him. _Why did she miss me?_ Why did he even matter? When Mika exited the bathroom for the second time, his curiosity could not be contained.

"You missed me?" His voice was a smooth monotone.

"Hm? I thought you didn't hear me…" The softest shade of red danced across her cheeks and provided a beautiful color scheme.

He shrugged.

Now dressed in form hugging clothes, she leaned against the wall adjacent the bed, not fully prepared to just be all buddy-buddy and sit next to him. She unclipped her hair and shook a mass of wavy locks loose. Mika then folded her arms under her bust. "Yeah, I guess I did. I realize now, though, that it was foolish. I should've known that looking for you would bring trouble."

Raizo tensed and the young woman raised an elegant brow.

"You…were looking for me?"

Embarrassed, she shrugged. "Yeah…," she said, voice small.

Well that would explain a lot. Raizo had been wondering how that woman had managed to get herself on yet another ninja-clan-kill-list. "Let me guess. You were searching for me, but found nothing. So you tried Ozunu. Found nothing. _Then_, you tried looking up all related clans and stumbled upon Tanjao."

She gaped at him in awe—stunned that he had figured it out so easily.

"Is that correct?"

She swallowed and nodded. "How did you—"

"Tanjao is my clan now."

Mika's jaw went slack. They sat in silence for a good, long minute. "_What_?"

He continued to gaze at her through unreadable eyes.

"Why, Raizo? Why after all that Ozunu has done to you? Why would you want to go back to a life of murder, and hatred, and servitude?"

His hands balled into fists and he looked away. "Because this is who I am."

She opened her mouth to speak, but the words died in her throat.

"This is the way I was raised," he continued. "Deception and the art of the ninja are all that I know. I'm not like you, Mika. I cannot just get up and walk away from my 'job'. I can't just _quit_. 'A life of murder' is the life I was born to lead."

Normally, Mika would have fired back with a heated response. Something about how his life was his own and no one but him could decide on his destiny. The future wasn't set in stone. But she couldn't bring herself to speak. Her throat clenched shut and a tear or two lined her eyes. She had never known how difficult it was for him.

Everything seemed so effortless. Kill a man here, slaughter a woman there. No big deal. But…it wasn't the life he wanted. But…he felt obligated to lead it.

After realizing that Mika had nothing more to say, Raizo stood and moved to the stiff old chair in the corner of the room. He took a seat and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. "You should probably get some rest."

Mika reluctantly crawled onto the bed and stretched out on her back, too warm to snuggle underneath the covers. She folded her hands daintily just above her navel, the spitting image of a corpse in a casket. She gazed up at the yellowed ceiling and listened to the fervent beat of her heart. The same heart that Raizo had called 'special', at a time.

And just to break the silence, she asked, "Raizo?"

Eyes still closed, he murmured, "Yes?"

"Why did you think my heart was special?" She was expecting the obvious answer. Your heart's on the right side of your chest, duh.

And for a few minutes, he just sat there. Motionless. Soundless. Mika doubted for a time he was even breathing. After awaiting a reply for ten minutes, the brunette decided that he must have drifted off to sleep. How he did so with the lights still on, she didn't know.

"It's just…special."

Her heart lurched at the sudden bass of his voice and her face warmed at his words.

He reached up and his hand slid along the wall behind his chair for a moment before finding the light switch. He turned off the lights and breathed a rather loud sigh—as if relieved to be in the darkness again.

Although it was a bit late, Mika whispered, "Thanks."

* * *

"Mika…" There was a faint voice that echoed through her head.

"Mika." The voice was more persistent now.

"_Mika_." Said female jolted with surprise and sat up abruptly. Her heart was racing and she was panting. After the room stopped spinning and the objects around her took on shapes, she noticed that Raizo was sitting next to her, hand on her shoulder.

"What?" she asked, slightly irritated.

"You seemed to be having a nightmare."

That would explain why she had broken a sweat. Although, she couldn't remember her dream. Mika 'hmm'ed in thought and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "Thanks."

He nodded in response. Then, after he was sure she caught her breath, "We need to leave the country."

It took her a while to register his words, but once she did, her eyes went wide. "Leave the _country_? Is it that bad?"

Again, he nodded.

Mika groaned with aggravation and fell backwards onto the bed.

"If you'd like to remain alive, I'd suggest we go soon."

The brunette brought her hands up and tangled them in thick brown tresses. She sighed. "Well, my sister has a summer home in Paris. I know where she keeps the spare key."

"Good." He stood suddenly and went to retrieve his duffle bag in which he kept his black garments and weapons. "Let's go."

"Right now?"

"Right now."

Bag slung over his shoulder, Raizo sauntered to the edge of the bed and pulled the young woman up and out of the bed. She complained and protested the whole way, but he managed to get her out the door. Before he left, he pulled a pack a cigarettes from his pants. He quickly lit a stick of nicotine and placed it in an ash tray in such a way that it would burn long after they were gone. So what if the room caught on fire? It wasn't there problem anymore.

Raizo climbed into the passenger side of Mika's car and tossed his bag into the backseat. The female revved the engine and took off without a word.

The ride to the airport was short, but awkward. Raizo just sat there—relaxed but aware of every minute detail. After half an hour, they hit the highway and it was smooth cruising from there on.

Mika slid her hands nervously up and down the wheel. She turned her head for just a moment to take a look at him. His head was tilted back against the back of his seat, eyes open.

"Why go through such lengths for…me?"

"This is nothing."

"Nothing? We're going to fly across the country and into Paris, France and that's _nothing_? Why not just kill me and get it over with? Wouldn't that make things easier?"

_Ah, so many questions…_ "No. It wouldn't make things easier, actually."

She spared him an inquisitive look, prompting him to elaborate.

Raizo dwelled on the thought of telling her. Telling her about how her face seemed to pop into his mind when he was stressed. Telling her that all he could hear at night when he slept was the sweet lull of her voice. Telling her that, even if they had only been in each other's company for one night that fateful day long ago, she was all he ever thought about anymore.

He quickly tossed that idea. It wasn't as if he was in love, it was just that thoughts of her brought him comfort. In that sense, killing her—ridding his world of the very person that brought him a brief sense of peace—would _not_ be making things easier.

"Having you around is more important than you'd think."

"Ah." She nodded her head and Raizo smiled. He could tell she didn't fully understand. And, hopefully, she never would.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Sorry this took me so long. D: Forgive me! Blame **Luna Rei**. She takes _forever_ to Beta things. At any rate, I hope this chappie was worth the wait. Please Read, Review, and Enjoy~

* * *

**Chapter 3: Relocation and Complications**

It had been two weeks since they had "moved" to Paris, France. It rained frequently in that time of the year and it was usually nippy out. Raizo was in the front yard training by the rose bushes. He constantly told Mika that they were safe, and yet he would wake at the ungodly hour of four in the morning and train into the late afternoon. Or until he was fatigued. Whichever came first.

The sun was beginning its ascent high into the sky as Mika gazed out the kitchen window, a cup of cold pineapple juice in her hands. As she sipped at the sweet, yellow substance (don't laugh), her eyes wandered to the sweating, shirtless form of Raizo.

It wasn't even fair.

He was standing on his hands…doing pushups. Feet high above his head, she watched with glazed eyes as his face lowered to just inches above a well manicured lawn before rising again. She swallowed. Once she finished with her glass, she placed it in the sink just below the window and washed it. Mika dried her hands and turned her attention, yet again, to the window. It was quite the spectacle to watch Raizo train. He was so meticulous, so focused—even though no one was watching.

Aside from herself, that is.

Speaking of the ninja, where was he? The brunette's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she leaned a little to her left, trying to see if he moved off somewhere to practice his martial arts.

"Looking for someone?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin. Caught red-handed, Mika hacked and coughed uncomfortably. "I-I…u-uh…I was just…!"

He chuckled. And what a beautiful sound it was. "It's okay. I grew used to you watching about a week ago."

Her eyes bugged. She turned slowly to face him, biting on a finger. "You knew?"

He shrugged, nonchalant, and smirked. "Of course. Windows aren't one-way, you know."

She nodded slowly and directed her attention to the floor. "Right." She moved out of the way to allow him access to the sink to wet a rag and wipe his chest down. She had to bite her lip and avert her gaze.

"You're in early."

"It's Saturday. I thought it would be nice to take a break and relax."

"What? Raizo _relax_?" she mocked with a grin, regaining her composure. "_Never_."

"Oh really?" he challenged. He moved to the middle of the kitchen and leaned against the island. "Okay, how about this: you and I go somewhere."

She froze. She would've spoken, but stuttering like an idiot wasn't exactly her favorite thing to do. She raised an incredulous eyebrow (something she seemed to be doing a lot of these days) instead.

He smirked and crossed well-muscled arms across his toned chest. "That's right. How about the park down the street? While you were at the market yesterday, I checked it out. I found the perfect spot."

She cleared her throat. "Uh, sure."

"Great. C'mon, let's go."

"R-Right now?"

"Right now."

"Raizo, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm still in my PJs."

Oh, he noticed alright. She donned a sleeveless top that exposed the peaks of her breasts and ended just above her navel. The cotton shorts that she wore reached mid-thigh. It was kind of difficult _not_ to notice.

"You look fine," he said, waving her off. "Trust me."

There he went again, telling her to trust him. Mika withheld the urge to scowl. The last time he had told her to trust him was right after she figured out he had broken into her home with the intention of killing her. The words didn't exactly hold a positive connotation.

* * *

"I have to hand it to you, Raizo. This place is beautiful." The two lounged beneath the little shade that a large, budding tree provided. Mika sat with her toes in the crystal blue water of the lake while Raizo sat cross-legged beside her.

He smiled. "I thought you'd like it here."

"Mmm." The young woman tilted her head back and allowed soft curls and waves to cascade down her back—enjoying the sun's heat on her face.

"Mika, I—" His words stopped abruptly; as if someone had pressed the 'off' button on his vocal cords.

Bronze eyelids fluttered open. She turned her head to the right to shoot him an inquiring look, when she noticed he was standing. Face to face with another man. The other male was blonde with striking green eyes. Once he felt Mika staring, his sly eyes slid to her. The smile on his lips morphed into a smirk.

"What are you doing here, Kenji?" Raizo's voice was curt; firm.

"Oh nothing. Just checking in on ya. We've missed you."

_We? _Mika stuck out her bottom lip in thought.

Then, the man addressed as Kenji gave the young woman a long, slow look—as if he were appraising a piece of meat. "That yours?"

"_She_," Mika corrected, venom in her voice.

"Uh-huh. Right," he said with a mocking tone. His grin was malicious.

"Why did you follow us?"

"Well what did you expect, brother? You thought you could just leave the country and no one would notice?"

Raizo lowered his voice and inched closer to him. "Can we talk about this somewhere else?" he growled.

"Why?" Kenji's raise in voice was obvious. "You scared? Do you have something to hide, brother?" Now, the blonde was practically breathing down Raizo's throat, a nasty sneer on his lips.

"Nothing."

"Good!" The male's mood lightened dramatically. "Then you won't mind bringing _her_ along." He gestured loosely to a glaring Mika.

"Of course not."

"Beautiful. See you soon, sweetheart~" He winked at Mika. And then, he was gone; seeming to have vanished in thin air. Gone with the breeze.

Raizo remained standing, his back to the brunette. She couldn't see his face, but could tell that he was upset by the way his hands were clenched. Mika got to her feet and came up beside him.

"Tanjao?"

He nodded solemnly. "I guess we weren't as safe as I thought."

* * *

When they got back to their temporary home, there was a rather expensive looking dress on Mika's bed and a white shirt with a pair of black hakamas on Raizo's.

When the young woman came out to meet him in the living room, he gazed at her through wary eyes. "That's…a nice dress."

"Really?" It was a single-sleeved kimono that barely covered her thighs. The neckline swept from her left shoulder in a diagonal line across her developed chest and snaked under her right arm and out of view, neatly hiding the scar on her chest. The garment was blood red in color and trimmed in gold satin. A thick, silky, matching gold ribbon wound around her abdomen and was tied into an elegant bow on her back. Her hair fell to one side, covering her exposed shoulder. Her bare legs were so long and slender, seeming to glow in the light that filtered through the bay windows.

She was beautiful. Sexy, even. Raizo blinked. A little too sexy. Kenji had obviously picked that outfit.

Upon seeing the fatherly disapproval in his eyes, Mika began to pout. "What? You don't like it?"

He slung his duffle bag over his shoulder and headed for the front door, inexpressive. "Let's just say I like it more than I should," he tossed over his shoulder.

The brunette smiled and followed the ninja outdoors.

Waiting for them was a six-cylinder camaro, black as the night—tinted windows to match. Its glossy paint glittered in the light of the sun. Kenji stood, slouched against the purring vehicle, hands in the pockets of his hakamas and a cocky smirk on his face.

He opened a door which led to the backseats of the car and made a sweeping motion with his hand. "Your chariot awaits." He had to bite back a devious chuckle as Mika hesitantly climbed aboard. But when Raizo tried to follow, Kenji placed a firm hand flat against his chest.

Raizo glared.

"You can sit in the front seat, brother. Don't worry…," he shot the woman in the car and admiring look, "I'll keep her company."

Raizo merely blinked, stepped past Kenji, and got into the passenger seat. His face seemed void of emotion, but oh, was he mad. He was furious, _seething_ with rage. But there was another emotion lingering behind his cold eyes. It was much more dark and ugly than anger.

It was jealousy. The infamous green-eyed monster.

Kenji knew that Raizo wanted to be with Mika, to be in such wonderful proximity. This was why the blonde bastard decided to seat his so called 'brother' in the front—even if there _were_ three seats in the back. Regardless, Raizo maintained his composure, the perfect picture of solemnity.

As the car lurched forward with the engine roaring, he could hear Kenji whispering to her; trying to win her over with his deadly charm. From what he could hear, to his delight, Mika wasn't very interested. Often times she would not respond to his probing questions. But when she did, her answers were short, sweet, and to the point. Raizo withheld the sudden urge to smile and sat in a sort of smug silence.

When the camaro _finally_ rolled to a halt, Mika was fast asleep—forehead gently pressed against the window. Kenji shook her softly and she woke slowly, yawning and stretching like a graceful feline. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stumbled out of the vehicle. Kenji was there and all too ready to brace and hold her up.

"Where's…Raizo?"

The blonde rolled his eyes and, once he was sure she could stand on her own, led Mika to the dojo. "He's speaking with the Master. They should just about be done."

Her eyes turned to the sky. The moon was high above her head. "How long was I out?"

"Five hours, give or take."

She groaned and chided herself for being such a heavy sleeper.

"Anyway, I'm sure the Master would love to finally meet you." He cast her a smirk from over his shoulder.

Her laugh was dark, mirthless. "The same Master who wanted me dead?"

Kenji shrugged nonchalantly and chuckled. "He takes to change well."

The air was cold and crisp. Up ahead, the brunette could see Tanjao's dojo nestled between two mountains. The path that the pair traveled on was a wide, graveled road with blooming trees on all sides. The path soon gave way to a circular driveway with a koi pond in its center. It was strangely silent out and Mika noted that there was barely a breeze. The thousand-foot tall, snow-capped mountains that surrounded them did well in shielding the dojo from prying eyes and the whipping wind.

She followed Kenji up old wooden steps and walked into a large rectangular room bathed in a mellow light. It was a one-story building with several halls and closed doors. There were burning incense and potted flowers scattered about the room. If Mika didn't know any better, she'd have thought that the Tanjao were a peaceful people.

"When they are through speaking, Raizo will show you to your room."

"Okay. Do you know—" She turned to face Kenji, only to find that she was alone. Mika blinked. _Okay… _The brunette wandered over to one of the tapestries on the wall. It depicted a man sitting, legs crossed and hands folded, amidst utter chaos and destruction. Blood collected in puddles around him and men warred just feet away. Mika brought a finger to her lips in thought.

Then, she heard the soft murmur of voices. She crept along the hallway to her left, balancing precariously on her tiptoes—curious and her interest piqued. She stopped suddenly. The walls in the hall were translucent and she could spot two dark silhouettes in the room to her right. She gently eased herself against the door so as not to be seen and to try and listen in.

"You have two months, Raizo. That is the length of my deference."

Raizo.

"Yes, Master." One of the silhouettes got to his knees. "I am truly grateful."

"Go."

Mika stiffened. _Shit, shit, shit!_ She had to get out of there before Raizo left. He would undoubtedly be going to look for the brunette to show her to her room. She shifted her weight from one leg to the next; anxious. She turned back in the direction that she had came and hurriedly tiptoed away. She had moved two feet before hands gripped her arms. She squealed in fright.

"Oh, Mika, Mika."

She shuddered with both relief and fear. She cleared her throat.

He released his hold on her and his hands returned to his sides. She turned to face the raven-haired male, guilt plain on her face.

"How much did you hear?"

"Something about two months?" she admitted.

His nod was barely noticeable. "You shouldn't eaves drop." His expression darkened. "Come with me."

She followed in silence, a brief wave of shame washing over her. After a few moments of wandering through halls lined with lucid walls, Raizo came to a stop. He pushed a bamboo sliding door aside and stepped into a quaint little room. There was a thin mat and flat pillow, a painting of the dojo on one wall, and lilies in the corner of the room.

Mika nodded her head in approval. She had always liked the minimalist approach to interior design.

"You will meet with the Master at a later time. My room is just down the hall should you need anything." Raizo turned to leave, but Mika grabbed his arm.

"Wait! Don't go just yet…"

His face was a mask of indifference.

"What's wrong?" she inquired.

"Nothing."

"Raizo." She leveled him with a solemn stare. "I think I know you well enough to see when something's troubling you."

"And? It's none of your concern." His tone was scornful—biting.

Mika released him and took a step back. Her eyes were filled with disbelief and hurt.

Raizo sighed and reached for her hand, clasped it in two of his. "Mika, I'm sorry. I am troubled, but with a burden you shouldn't have to share. It's nothing…I'll figure something out…"

She took a step closer. "Raizo?"

He looked down into warm, chestnut-toned orbs framed by long lashes. Then, the distance between them was suddenly shrinking. Her eyes were closing, her lips were pursed. Raizo stiffened. She was getting so close…so close he could feel her breath on his face.

Seconds before her tender lips could meet his, he stepped back. "Mika…" He dropped her hand and shook his head. "I can't."

Mika sighed, utterly disappointed. She took a few shaky steps back as well. "I'm sorry."

He tried his hand at a smile, but all he could muster was a crooked frown. Expressing his emotions was not his forte. If it had been any other time, Mika would have laughed at his attempt. Instead, she glued her eyes to the floor.

"Good night, Mika." His exit was marked by a soft grinding sound as the door slid closed.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Benevolence, here! Hope ya'll had a great Spring Break! I did! …Sort of… **Luna Rei **FINALLY read this over for me, so blame her for my tardiness! xO As per usual, Read, Review, and Enjoy~ ;"D

* * *

**Chapter 4: Trouble**

Someone was shaking her. Her eyebrows drew together in frustration. She just lay there, completely still, praying that the disruptor of her blissful sleep would leave.

Someone shook her again.

Mika groaned and rolled over onto her back. Her eyes fluttered open to see Raizo looking down on her. And in that instant, she was grateful to have a blanket across her chest. Her _bare_ chest. Sleeping without a bra was comfortable, okay? And she was not about to sleep in what was surely a hundred dollar dress. She drew the blanket up higher.

She could barely find her voice. "What time is it?" she managed.

"Four o'clock."

Mika let out a slow breath through her teeth that made a hissing sound and mumbled what sounded like 'Fucking Christ' under her breath. She clenched her eyes closed, thoroughly pissed off that Raizo would even _think_ of waking her at such an hour.

"Mika, you have to get up."

"What if I don't wanna," she whined.

"Then you miss breakfast," he stated matter-of-factly.

The brunette rolled out of bed moments later.

* * *

After a surprisingly satisfying meal of sugarless oatmeal and a few apple slices, Raizo directed her to the "bathroom". It was a hot spring out back. If the pool of water wasn't shielded by towering mountains, lined with a bouquet of colorful foliage, and didn't provide the _second_ (heh) most relaxing feeling she had ever experienced, then Mika would have protested.

But, all of the above were present and Mika bathed in the spring's luxuriant heat for nearly an hour.

Luckily, when she wandered the halls of Tanjao's dojo, they were empty. She wasn't quite in the mood to be ogled with just a towel to conceal her more intimate parts. She padded barefoot through pine-scented corridors silently before reaching her room. What she saw when she opened the door nearly made her drop her towel. Hair pulled back into a short ponytail, bare back coated in sweat, Raizo stood facing the wall.

"U-Um…"

He turned to look at her from over his shoulder. Swallowed. God, she was so beautiful. Her skin glittered like gold in the candle light.

"You take long baths."

"Thanks for noticing?" Did he not know this was wrong? Did he not know how _awkward_ this situation was? She was completely bare save the blue towel that she held around her with a vice grip. There was this little thing called _privacy_, you know.

He turned to face her, thick white strips of some sort of fabric in his hands. "I'm here to help you with your bindings."

"Bindings?"

"We wear them in place of undergarments."

Her eyes widened and her brows rose. "Oh." She blushed.

He shrugged and held his arms out—a signal for her to come closer. She stepped forward hesitantly. "Wouldn't it be better if a woman did this?"

"The women are finishing their week of conditioning in the mountains," he said smoothly. Upon seeing the unease plain on her face, he smiled. "It was either me or Kenji."

She blinked. "…Let's get this over with."

* * *

Raizo had allowed her to wind a few pieces of the sturdy clothe around her chest for…protection. He took over from there. He skillfully wrapped the white strips round and around her torso to just below her collar bones and above her navel. Afterwards, he did something unexpected. The male used both hands to pull her hair back and behind her shoulders. Mika had nearly mistaken it for a gesture of fondness. Unless… Was it one?

"The next part is…tricky." Right. The lower half of her body. He handed her the bindings and pantomimed what she was to do around the vicinity of his pelvis. Mika nodded in understanding and, while his back was turned, did as she was instructed.

"Done." He turned slowly and admired her handy work. Half of her thighs were wrapped in what looked like white gauze. The material was wound in such a way that hung low on her hips, exposing just how shapely she really was. Mika quirked a brow. "So? Is this good?"

"It's great, actually." And for some reason, he couldn't keep his eyes off the exposed patch of skin of her abdomen.

"Well don't sound all surprised." Although the tone in her voice suggested that she was offended, Mika smiled.

Raizo nodded his head in the direction of her blankets. "There's a new dress for you. It's for wearing around the dojo."

"You say that as if I'm able to go somewhere else." The smirk that he gave her made the young woman's stomach knot. "What's there to do in this place, anyway?"

"Well, there's a room with books and records of Tanjao's history somewhere around here…" Her eyes lit up almost instantly. The male chuckled and headed for the door. "I'll wait for you to get dressed."

He didn't have to wait long. Not even three minutes later, Mika joined him in the hallway. She donned a silky, emerald, sleeveless dress which swirled around her knees. It was a simple little number that left her shoulders bare and provided a peak of the tops of her breasts.

"You look nice."

Mika gave him a mischievous look. "You do too. I like the shirtless thing you've got going on."

Raizo playfully rolled his eyes and led her to what she would probably refer to as a library. Once the pair arrived, the brunette ran towards the nearest bookshelf she saw—running her fingers along the binds of books as she read their titles.

"A True Warrior, History in Due Time, A Collection of Arts… Wow, this is great. So much historical literature."

The raven-haired male just smiled and admired Mika in her state of fascination. She was kind of adorable when she was around books. "Good. This should keep you occupied for a while, then."

"What?" She tore her gaze away from a dusty old book and looked into his eyes. "You planned on just dropping me off here like it was some sort of daycare?"

He shrugged.

Mika just laughed and rolled her eyes. "Nice choice in rooms. This place will do just fine."

"Good. Don't destroy anything."

Raizo side-stepped a pen chucked in his direction as he left.

* * *

"How goes the training, brother?"

Raizo was panting, chain of the kusarigama in his grip. "Fine."

Kenji smirked and continued his technique training with his katana. "Are you nervous?"

The brunette snorted. "Why would I be?"

"You seem…distracted."

When the male hesitated before swinging his chain again, the blonde laughed. "See?"

"Do you have nothing better to do?"

Suddenly, Kenji was in front of him. He swiped his blade at a slant and metal met the steel of the kusarigama's chain. The younger of the two men leaned in, green eyes fierce. "Why do you even care? What's the point in all of this?" he spat.

"It's none of your concern, Kenji."

Said male scoffed and backed away, nothing short of hatred in his eyes. "Mark my words, brother: she will die."

"Kenji—"

"And if I have it my way, as will you. You should have been punished for not completing your mission, and you know it. You're lucky that Master favors you."

Raizo skillfully wound up his weapon—suddenly done with training. "He does not favor me. He is a wise and generous man."

Kenji rolled his eyes and sneered. "Call it what you will, but I know he likes you more than the rest of us. Why do you think he allowed you in our clan? Even after you slaughtered the members of your own?"

"I did what had to be done."

"For _her_. Don't you get it? Your problems will not cease until you sever whatever connections you have with that woman."

Raizo merely looked at him. Blinked; said nothing.

The blonde shook his head slowly as if he pitied his brother. "Anyway, in two months time, balance will be restored."

The brunet had wandered over to one of the counters in the sparring room and was putting his shirt on. And even as Raizo headed for the door, Kenji's words followed him; haunted him—chilled him to the bone.

"_She will die."_

Once he was out of the room and away from Kenji's resentful stare, Raizo cringed.

* * *

_**Two weeks later…**_

Mika was seated on a stone bench behind Tanjao's dojo. There was a small paper bag hidden behind her and a bowl of steaming noodles in her hands. Surrounded by towering, budding trees and snowcapped mountains, Mika enjoyed the way the hot contents of her bowl warded off the cold.

Raizo pushed aside a sliding door, slid it closed behind him, and moved to join the young woman with his own lunch. One of her legs stretched out across the length of the bench while the other dangled listlessly. Normally, the ninja would've pushed the brunette's seat-hogging leg down or sat awkwardly on the floor next to her. But, now that he had had time to get acquainted with her quirks, he simply took a seat next to her—pushing his lower back against her extended leg.

Raizo watched her delicately lift some noodles into her mouth. He smiled. He remembered when he had first taught her how to use chopsticks. She had broken the pair of sticks, swore, and stormed off on her first attempt.

Now, she ate with such elegance and grace, he swore she must've been Asian in a past life.

Mike swallowed and graced him with her signature grin. "I've got something special today."

He dipped his chopsticks into his bowl. "Oh?"

Mika set the ceramic dish in her lap and pulled the brown bag from behind her back. She opened it slowly, trying to stifle the crinkling sound the paper made, and pulled out two oranges.

Raizo's expression was one of confusion. "How'd you get those?" Fruits were a rare luxury.

The young woman merely smiled and shrugged. "What can I say? The cooks like me."

He shot her a glare that said: 'I don't believe you, but you're lucky I like oranges.'

She tossed him one of the fruits. "Oh, stop your glaring. Just be grateful and help me get rid of the evidence."

* * *

Raizo was on one of his daily muscle-toning workouts and had left Mika to the confines of the library. Not that she minded, of course. Mika was ever pursuing knowledge. Said female was nose deep in a book about the art of jujutsu when she heard footsteps. She didn't bother to look up because she figured it was just another ninja stuck on cleanup duty.

The footsteps drew steadily closer. By the time she had managed to tear her eyes away from tattered pages, someone was sitting next to her. A blonde someone. He smirked and his lips parted to reveal two rows of pearly whites. "You sure study a lot."

Mika made a noncommittal sound of agreement. Raizo had warned her about him. He was not to be trusted. And something told her that he didn't just come to say 'howdy' after two consecutive weeks of coldly ignoring her.

"You don't get out much, do you?"

"Is there something you want, Kenji?" she snapped.

He raised both eyebrows and his smile widened. "Hey, take it easy, Mika. I just wanted to say hi."

"Well, say 'hi' and kindly leave. I'm in the middle of something." She promptly resumed reading.

Then, he did something unexpected. He slid close to her, closing the distance between them on the couch. He languidly draped an arm around her shoulder—his grip firm, allowing her little wiggle room. She tensed.

"An exotic little treasure like yourself shouldn't be left all alone. Not in a place like this. Who knows what might happen?" he practically purred in her ear. "A word to the wise: not all men here are as patient and as well-mannered as Raizo."

He was on his feet seconds later—denying her the chance to speak (even if she could). Not two minutes after the blonde male had left, Raizo sauntered into the room—raking a hand through his dampened hair. He strode to the back of the library where Mika could commonly be found curled up with a book. Upon catching sight of her face, he questioned, "What's wrong?"

Mika simply blinked. She couldn't speak. Didn't _want_ to speak.

The brunet made to join her on the couch, but froze mid-step. He inhaled; smelled the air. A dark expression clouded over his features and his pupils began to shrink in size.

"He was here."

Mika could practically taste the venom in his voice.

"I told you to stay away from him."

"I did," she said, suddenly finding her voice. "He came to me."

"What did he do? What did he say?"

The brunette shook her head slowly, still unsettled by Kenji's previous comments. "Something about me being left alone and how some of the men here aren't as patient as you…"

A low, guttural noise escaped Raizo's lips and Mika looked up to him. Was that a growl?

"If you see him again, call for me."

"B—"

"Just call me," he voice was curt, firm.

Her nod was barely noticeable. "What I don't understand is why he would randomly start talking to me again after giving me the cold shoulder for the past two weeks."

Raizo shook his head and closed his eyes. "He's trying to bait me—distract me."

"From what?"

He hesitated. "…It's nothing." He turned around to leave, not in the mood for explaining the situation, but Mika stood. She moved in front of him and blocked his path.

"Raizo, why can't you tell me? Why don't you trust me?"

The male sighed and attempted a smile. "I do, but…"

"But what? It's either ya do or ya don't." Something in the deep caverns of her heart ached. After all of the time shared, after all of the life-or-death experiences, he still couldn't trust her? Yeah, it hurt. It hurt to know that she trusted him with her life and then some, and that he didn't even trust her enough to be alone in a room.

Mika scoffed at the thought. She was no child.

Suddenly, a cold hand was against her cheek. She froze; completely stunned.

"I trust you, Mika. There are just some things that are better kept a secret." His thumb caressed the gentle curve of her face. He would have moved further, hooked a finger beneath her chin, but she was still in shock. Had he done something wrong? He got ready to withdraw his hand, but _her_ hand came up and held his in place.

And they just stood there—gazing with a whirlwind of emotions into each other's eyes. Stood there for what felt like an eternity. A beautiful, blissful eternity. Her hand on his, the bare skin of his palm on her face.

They were finally having a moment.

Mika dared to push things a step farther and moved his hand away from her face…only to thread her fingers through his. Raizo gazed at their joined hands in a sort of wonder. He felt strangely light and unusually…happy. No, happy wasn't the right word. Peaceful. That's it.

The brunette held up their loosely linked hands and stared solemnly into eyes that reminded her of the darkest of nights. "What does this mean to you?" She squeezed his hand.

Without missing a beat, Raizo brought her hand to the left side of his chest and placed the back of her hand against it. "This."

And Mika Coretti felt the soft, quick beat of his heart.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Hey there! It's me again. :D Thanks to all who have reviewed. If you've ever written a Fanfic, then you'd know how important such things are. –nod- Anyway, this chapter's titled what it is for a reason. **Somewhat of a Spoiler Alert!** And, pertaining to what happens in the beginning of this chapter, I couldn't help myself. I suppose it was a little gift for me (eh, maybe you too). Read, Review, and Enjoy~

* * *

**Chapter 5: Problematic**

_**One week later…**_

Mika was wandering the corridors of the dojo—thoroughly bored (for once in her life) of reading historical fiction for five consecutive hours. Well, it wasn't _wandering_, more like _searching_. She wanted to make a phone call. And after rummaging around in every room she came across, unable to find one, she was beginning to think that there _weren't_ any phones in this godforsaken place.

The brunette, regardless, soldiered on. She marched up to the last door in the eastern wing of the dojo, knocked twice, and threw the door open.

She regretted the action instantly.

He was sitting with his legs crossed, eyes closed, on a tatami mat on the floor. His hands were delicately resting on his knees. Was he meditating? As if on cue, pale eyelids flew open to reveal emerald eyes. A smirk slowly worked its way onto his lips, the smile of a predator that had just snared its prey.

"What a pleasant surprise."

A wave of heat washed over her body. His voice was surprisingly deep and rich. Smooth. Like chocolate. Had it always been that way? Mika swallowed and tried to quiet her pounding heart. "S-Sorry…I didn't know this was your room."

"Oh, it's nothing." The male uncrossed his legs and stood in one fluid motion. He tilted his head to the left. _Crack_. Tilted his head to the right. _Crack_. He started to move towards her. "That dress suits you."

The brunette donned the same green dress Raizo had given her for wearing about the dojo. Her breath suddenly caught in her throat. _Raizo! _She could call for him. She could call for him right now and it would all be over. But she couldn't bring herself to speak. She could hardly bring herself to breathe. Instead, she opted for walking backwards, trying desperately to get out of the room. "Thanks," she replied quickly. "I didn't mean to intrude, so I'll just—"

Suddenly, there was a 'whoosh' and he was behind her—the door closed. "Aw," he complained, "leaving so soon?"

Mika whirled around to face him, heavy blush on her cheeks. "I don't want to disturb you…"

"Disturb me?" He chuckled and then shrugged. "I _was_ meditating, but I wouldn't mind a distraction." He was moving in her direction again. Only this time, he was taking careful steps, slowly maneuvering her to the nearest wall. The leer on his lips was making her ache in all the wrong places. How long had it been since she had had sex?

She swallowed.

"Kenji, I really need to go."

"Oh, Mika," he murmured and he shook his head. "Always in such a hurry. Just relax."

She squealed when she felt hard wood against her back. A wall. Before she could move, Kenji was there, muscular body pressed against hers. The brunette gasped. The blonde male seized her wrists and swiftly pinned them on either side of her head. Then, his face was inches from hers, their noses barely touching.

"Tell me what you want, Mika."

"I-I…I…"

He pushed himself forward and ground his hips against hers. "Do you want me?" he growled. His piercing green eyes watched her writhe, watched her squirm. On more than one occasion she had tried to free her hands, but his grip was so strong! It hurt, but it was a kinky kind of hurt. A pain that lit her synapses on fire.

"Mika… Tell me what you _need_," he breathed into her hear.

Said female shuddered against her own will. "Kenji…"

"Tell me."

"I…"

"Tell me," he repeated, grip tightening.

She whimpered due to the increased pain in her wrists and Kenji all but groaned. His lips hovered just above her throat—ready to lick, ready to kiss, ready to nip.

"I need…"

"Say it."

Mika curled and uncurled her toes anxiously. She clenched her eyes shut and raised her chin—grinding the crown of her head into the wall; curly hair tickling the male's face.

"Raizo!"

And there was complete silence for one…beautiful…moment.

Then, in the next…

There was a loud crash and Kenji was across the room in a heap. He lay in a bed of what used to be a glass vase. Raizo now stood in the middle of the room with his head hung and his hands balled into fists at his sides.

Kenji rolled onto his back, seemingly unaware of the razor-sharp shards of glass imbedded in his flesh. Blood trickled from his wounds as he shakily got to his feet. The blonde leveled Raizo with a malignant glare. "Don't you know how to knock?"

"If you touch her again, I'll—"

"You'll _what_?" the younger ninja challenged.

Raizo stepped forward, hands raised, ready to rip the blonde-haired, green-eyed demon's throat out when Mika stepped into his path.

"Stop."

He looked at her, rather, seemed to look through her in his rage, and blinked. He then peered over her shoulder so he could see Kenji's seething form again and glowered at him. Raizo then turned swiftly on his heels and left through the hole in the wall he had created upon arrival.

Mika gazed at the hole, jaw slack. Then, she quickly regained her composure, ran, and jumped through the newly made opening in the wall. Luckily, Raizo hadn't blended into the shadows and disappeared again. Instead, he stood at the end of hall, back to her, eyes glued to the floor.

When Mika finally caught up to him, she stopped at his side and placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. "Thank you."

The brunet simply shook his head. "No. I was foolish."

She quirked a questioning eyebrow.

His subsequent chuckle was hollow, mirthless. "I acted impulsively. He was right. I have become weak."

Mika hooked an elegant finger under his chin and coaxed his face upwards so that their eyes could meet. "Having feelings is not weakness."

"In this world—in my world," he corrected, "it is. You're becoming a distraction."

At this, the brunette was taken aback. She withdrew her hand. "A what?"

"I think it would be best if we no longer saw each other."

Her heart skipped a beat. Time slowed to a dreary crawl.

'_I think it would be best…'_

No… Raizo couldn't be saying this. Couldn't be fucking breaking up with her even though they were never together. And yet, the pain was just as agonizing; as heart wrenching; as soul crippling. It became hard to breathe and she felt suddenly choked up. And, out of heartache and anger, she felt like crying. She felt like crying because even if he had never told her he had feelings for her, she knew. She felt like crying because he was always there to save her life, protect her from the darkest of evils. She felt like crying because with a mere thirteen words, she had been reduced to nothing.

'…_if we no longer saw each other.'_

"Why?" she murmured. Compared to her usual sass and flare, Mika sounded small and pathetic. Like a disappointed young child.

Raizo couldn't bear to look at her—couldn't bear to see the pain so clear on her face. He turned away from her. "I'm only doing this for you."

It was Mika's turn to laugh joylessly. "For me? Do you think hurting me will help me?"

He froze. Hurting her? But how? She would only be distressed if… It clicked and inky black eyes widened. _She…she likes me. She loves me? _"Mika…"

"I thought we had…" She paused. Then, she threw all caution to the wind and let her words flow freely—damning the consequences. "I thought we had something special, you know? I mean, that day in the library. Did that mean anything to you? I felt your heartbeat. _You_ allowed me to feel it. Why would you want to take that back?" Tears were threatening to fall now. Her voice was slowly becoming weaker, raspy. She fought back the strain in her lungs that usually accompanied tears. "Why would you want to take that away? Am I…"

Mika had to stop again to angrily swipe at a lone tear streaking down the side of her face. "Am I not good enough?"

"_Mika_." The harsh tone of his voice was enough to stop her sniffling. This was becoming too much. He wasn't allowed to feel such a strong surge of emotion. Wasn't _supposed_ to feel it, anyway. He started to walk away, trying to leave behind his problems like he normally did, but Mika grabbed his hand.

"Raizo, stop! You can't keep doing this! Running away is not going to solve your problems. You can't just turn your back and pretend like none of this ever happened!" She was sobbing and yelling and she didn't care. Let the other ninjas hear. Who gave a damn anymore. "Why can't you just say it, Raizo? Why is it so hard to admit you have feelings? Why is it so hard to admit that you are, in fact, a human? Why is it," her breath hitched and she allowed a few sobs before continuing. "Why is it so hard to love me?"

"Because it will be easier to let you go!" he shot back, not missing a beat. Where this sudden flood of panicky emotion was coming from, he hadn't the slightest clue. Perhaps it was all of the years of pent up feelings? Who knew? "Because if I keep telling myself that I don't need you, that I don't…like…you, that maybe, just maybe, I can bear to live on when you're gone."

And Mika just stood there—saucer-eyed and all. His words truly touched her heart.

"I know what it feels like to lose a loved one. I'm not sure I'm ready for that pain again."

Without thinking, Mika threw herself into his arms and buried her lovely brown face into his shoulder. She didn't cry, she didn't smile. She just held him and silently told him that she wasn't going anywhere.

But Raizo knew better. Even as he folded his arms around her waist he knew what was bound to come. He knew that if he wasn't strong enough, if he continued to become weak, that Kenji's words would come to fruition: Mika would die. Regardless, he shook his head and pressed his tender lips into her hair.

"I will find a way, Mika. I will find a way."

* * *

"Good evening, this is the Europol Head Quarters. How may I be of assistance?"

"Good evening. Is Ryan Maslow available?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, his shift just ended. But you may try again on Monday," the receptionist reassured.

"Wait! Could you please try and catch him? It's urgent."

There was a pause.

"I'll see what I can do, ma'am."

"Thank you."

There was a soft click and shortly after instrumental music ensued. It was a step up from elevator music. Mika twirled the cord of the telephone between her fingers as she waited—leaning against the glass of the phone booth. She turned around and stole another glance at Raizo. He looked pretty miserable standing on the other side of the street, in the rain, with a black umbrella over his head. She gave him a wary smile.

He shot her a look that said, 'I hate this.'

She laughed.

"This is Ryan Maslow."

"Oh, Ryan, thank God! It's so nice to hear a friendly voice."

"Uh…may I ask who's calling?"

"It's me, Mika."

He gasped and then whispered angrily into the phone, "_Mika_? The Hell? Where are you? You've been gone for over a month and everyone's been flipping out!"

"I know, I know! I'm sorry. I've been…tied up in some other things…"

"Things like what?" he asked slowly.

"Things like ninjas?"

"Mika! How the—why the—where _are_ you?"

"You know, I'm not too sure. But I'm safe. I guess. Anyway, I just wanted to call to let you know that I'm alright."

He snorted. "Who said I was worried?"

"Ryan."

"Okay, so I might've been flipping out too. But what else do you expect?"

"I _know_ and I'm really sorry. I didn't expect things to happen this way."

Ryan rubbed his temples and groaned into the receiver. "I swear, I don't know what to do with you."

Mika chuckled in reply.

"So, do you need help or what? Should I send some people to your location?"

"No, I'm fine. I just need you to cover for me. Tell Europol that, oh, I don't know, that my mother died and I had to go to England for the funeral service.

"A month long funeral service?"

"Just be creative!"

"Okay, okay. But you owe me. Big time."

"Yeah, whatever. Thanks, Ryan. Love you~"

"Uh-huh. Later."

"Bye."

Mika hung up the phone and heaved a heavy sigh. That was one thing off her chest. She turned around, screamed, and jumped backwards—slamming into the telephone.

"Raizo, what the Hell? When did _you_ get here?"

He shrugged. "I was tired of waiting."

After Mika was standing correctly again, she pushed the male back out into the elements and ducked under his umbrella. "Let's just go. We've got a long walk ahead of us," she growled. The two had traveled to the nearest town on foot. It was a good ten mile walk. It was pretty nice on the way down from the mountains. Brilliant sun, powder-blue skies, sweet spring breeze. Now it was pouring rain, the sun was nowhere to be found, and the whipping wind often carried ice-cold droplets of water.

It sucked.

"What was that you said to…Ryan, was it?"

"What do you mean?"

"What did you say before you hung up?"

"What…? Oh. I told him I loved him." The brunette looked up to see that his jaw was stiff and he was almost glaring at the road in front of him.

"That's what I thought."

Mika wrapped her arm delicately around his waist and he tensed. He hesitated in his step for just a moment before walking normally again.

"Raizo, I love him because he's my best friend. Well, sort of. It's like a brother-sister type of love."

"Like family?"

"Yeah, like family."

Mika felt him shudder and realized that he was sighing with relief.

"So…do you love me the same way?"

This took the young woman off guard. She blinked. Did she love him like a brother? Or did she love him as something more? The fingers on the hand that was resting on Raizo's waist ran up and down his sides as she pondered.

"No," she said suddenly.

He didn't speak for a few moments. A little shocked, admittedly. "Oh."

"What I feel for you is more than love for a family member."

At this, he stopped in his tracks. Mika was forced to stop with him.

"What do you feel?"

There it was. The million dollar question. What _did_ she feel? His eyes were trained on her now; onyx orbs that seemed to pierce her very soul with their severity.

"I…I think I…," Mika was hesitating—unsure of whether to speak her mind or not. This could either bring them closer or ruin what fragile friendship she so desperately held together.

"I think I love you."

Instead of raising his eyebrows in shock or smiling because the feeling was mutual, he just stared at her with curiosity in his eyes. "You love me?"

She nodded, blushing from embarrassment.

"Huh." Then, he was walking again.

Mika just stood there; mouth open, eyes wide. That was it? 'Huh'? He had to be freaking kidding. After a minute or two of being pelted with sheets of rain, the brunette came to her senses and ran to catch up with the ninja—nearly slipping and falling flat on her ass in the process.

"So, what, that's it?"

"Was I supposed to say something more?"

"Uh, yes? I just told you I love you!"

"Okay."

She actually yelled, she was so frustrated. "Now it's _your_ turn. You're supposed to tell me how _you_ feel."

As Raizo mulled it over, his face was a mask of indifference. His perfect lips were unsmiling and his eyes partially lidded. "Well, I guess I like you."

"You like me?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes."

"That's it?" she prodded.

He shrugged.

Mika resisted the urge to throw her arms up in defeat and settled with folding them across her chest and pouting. Great. She had just done the unthinkable and told him that she, not liked, but _loved_ him. But did he feel the same way? Ha. Of course not. Mika chided herself for being such an idiot. Why would he love a woman like her anyway? For one, she was black and he was, for lack of better word, Asian. She documented files, he split wigs. She drove a car, he moved through the shadows. They lived in two completely different worlds. They would never be.

"What are you thinking about?" His words broke the silence and shook her from her thoughts.

"What do you care?"

"I was just wondering. You've been unusually quiet."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You talk a lot," he stated matter-of-factly.

She shoved him. "You don't talk at all."

"You don't give me a chance."

Despite her anger/disappointment, she smiled. "Oh, so you've got jokes."

"I try." He shot her a smirk.

_Oh, Raizo. Sometimes I don't know how to feel. At times I want to punch you in the _face_, but at others…I just want to hold you and never let you go. But you don't love me, do you? You let me feel the beat of your heart, but you don't love me. That makes complete sense. You make me want to hate you and love you at the same time. _

_Jeez. Why do ninjas have to be so damn complicated?_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N****: **Benevolence here! Just as the title of this chapter says: FINALLY! Big ups to all of those who've reviewed and even all y'all who are just quietly following along. ;) Thank you, kindly. Please Read, Review, and Enjoy~

* * *

**Chapter 6: Finally**

_**Two weeks later…  
**_

"Mika, you look fine," Raizo said, exasperated. "Can we go now? We're going to be late."

"I know, I know! But are you sure this color suits me? What if I just try on—"

Raizo yanked the young woman from in front of the cheval mirror(1) and pushed her out of the room. "Not a chance." The brunette made an honest attempt to fight back, but he was way too strong. She was like a five-year-old trying to force back a linebacker.

After a lot of whining and unsatisfied moans from Mika, the pair finally made it to their destination. Raizo straightened his long-sleeved silver, silk shirt. The dark grey buttons made a trail from his left breast down. He had donned loose black pants made of the same material.

"You ready?"

"Does it really matter?" Mika shot back, pout on her lips.

"Good answer." The male stepped forward and slid a bamboo door to the side to reveal a small rectangular room. The walls were a mellow yellow and the carpet a soft cream color. Hanging from the ceiling was a simple, candlelit chandelier—its facets made of bronze. In the center of the room stood a table just a foot above the floor, a male with long gray hair done up into an authoritative bun at the head of said table. A luxurious onyx robe hung from his shoulders. The male opened his arms wide in welcome. "Please, come in."

Mika did just as Raizo had trained her to do earlier. She smiled and bowed her head, wiped her bare feet on the mat outside of the room, and proceeded inside—head still respectfully bowed. Raizo followed suit and closed the door behind him. He took a seat to the male's right and Mika to the elder's left.

"Please introduce me to our guest."

"Master, this is Mika Coretti."

"Mika…what a beautiful name. I hope that you have found your accommodations here suiting."

"Yes. Your hospitality has been invaluable."

The Master grinned. "Excellent! Then, we may begin with dinner."

As if on cue, several women in black robes entered the room—each holding two platters of steaming food. They laid out an assortment of meats, rice, and vegetables. Just looking at the spread, Mika's mouth began to water. Tanjao had this convoluted idea that one could control every aspect of the body with the mind. Including hunger. To enforce this principle, the ninja (along with Mika) were served rice or noodles in a chicken broth for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Meat was served twice a month, and even then it was in meager portions.

Now, two carved hams, three slabs of pork roast, and one tender chicken lay just out of reach. She swallowed.

"Please, let us eat," Master boomed.

After they had each procured a plate, no one hesitated to dive in. The trio ate in silence for a good portion of the meal, enjoying the savory flavors.

Once some time had passed, the Master set his chopsticks elegantly in his empty rice bowl and sighed contentedly. "Ah, the fine tastes of a well-cooked meal. Are you enjoying the food that my best chefs have provided?" His eyes slid to his left and focused on Mika.

Said female nodded. "It is delicious. I thank you for your unwavering hospitality."

"So respectful!" he said, nodding his head in approval. "Raizo, I now see why you risk what you do."

The brunette squinted her eyes and shot Raizo a suspicious look.

He squirmed uncomfortably in his seat and attempted a smile. "Thank you." He looked up and caught Mika's eye for a fleeting moment before looking away. He had to steer this conversation in another direction. Fast. She could not know. At least, not yet…

Master gulped down some sake. When he set his glass down, it made a profound 'thump' that brought all eyes to him. His perfectly arched, gray eyebrows accented his dark eyes. His expression went from joyful to severe in ten seconds.

"It has come to my attention that you are unaware of your presence here."

Mika found it hard to hold his gaze. Yes, this man was at least thirty years her senior, but he was still pretty damn intimidating. She nodded.

"I feel obligated to inform you that—"

"Master." Despite the fact that Raizo's eyes were glued to the floor, he was tense.

Master glared in the ninja's direction. "For what purpose do you interrupt me?"

"May we speak in private?"

The eldest male thought for a moment. Then, as if he were gesturing to a dog, he waved Mika off with a few dainty flicks of the wrist. "Leave us."

Appalled at the sudden treatment, Mika's mouth parted slightly. She was just about ready to chew him out for disregarding her existence, when Raizo cleared his throat. She turned her eyes to him to see that he had a warning eyebrow raised.

Mika resisted the urge to roll her eyes and nodded. "As you wish." The young woman quickly collected her skirts and swept out of the room. Once the door was slid closed, Raizo released a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Master, I humbly ask that you spare her that information."

"What purpose would that serve? She deserves to know."

"She does, but I feel it may be too soon."

Master, back erect and hands folded in his lap, studied Raizo. Then, he said, "My son, the longer you wait, the more difficult it will be."

"I understand."

"You may tell her when you feel she is ready," he granted, "But be wise. You do not have much longer."

"Thank you, Master."

"Good. Leave me in peace now."

Raizo obliged with a respectful bow of the head. He rose gracefully to his feet and left the room.

* * *

"Mika, may I come in?" There was silence. Raizo stood outside of her room for a good five minutes before trying again. After his third attempt, she finally spoke.

"Fine."

When he entered, he found her sitting on the floor, still wearing her dress. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to the punch.

"What are you hiding?" Her tone was cold, yet firm, much like the stare she was giving him.

Raizo looked away. "Nothing."

"Oh don't bother with lying, Raizo. Your Master basically gave you away."

"It's nothing to be concerned about."

"Nothing to…? Whatever secret you're keeping is _about me_. I have every right to be concerned!"

The brunet entered, closed the door, and stepped farther into the room until he stood in front of her. He then lowered himself to the floor and sat with his legs folded—resting his hands on his knees. "Do you really want to know?"

She nodded solemnly.

"Well," he continued, "I really would have preferred to tell you later, but I suppose that you and Master are right. You should know." Mika waited with all of the patience she could muster.

_Just get on with it already!_

"In three weeks, Kenji and I will duel. This fight will decide my fate and yours." At this, the young woman's eyes widened. "If I win, you will be permitted to leave peacefully. But, if I lose, then…"

"What?" she asked, a slight waver in her voice.

"Then…I will be given the choice to stay or leave the clan and…you will be killed."

Mika's breath caught in her throat and she cupped a hand over her mouth. She felt the muscles in her chest constrict with a crippling fear. "Oh my God," she breathed.

"I'm sorry."

"B-But…why does it have to be that way?"

"Do you remember when I came to you that night? Before we left for Paris?"

She paled. Of course she remembered. How could she not? He had come with the intentions of taking her life.

"I was supposed to kill you. But, I couldn't bring myself to do it, so I ran—we ran. And, as you know, they found us. When we got here, I had to beg Master to allow me to fight the strongest ninja in his clan. We agreed that you would gain your freedom in exchange for Kenji's loss. And so he gave me two months to prepare and…spend time with you…"

Mika was speechless. She just kept blinking, trying to fight away tears. She didn't want to start crying like a little wuss, but she couldn't help it. She was shocked, she was scared, she was hurt. Did he not think that this news was just a little important? It would have been nice to know, oh, I don't know, a month ago! Half of the allotted time was already up and her life was on the line, for Christ's sake.

"Why did they even send you to kill me in the first place?"

"You knew too much about our clan."

"Knew too much? I barely _know_ anything at all!" she shrieked, throwing her hands up.

"And that's just it. Although you knew little, it was more information than you should have known. I was only sent to you because I had been in town for…other business…"

_The bank manager_. "So I guess I just got lucky."

He shrugged.

Mika's shoulders sagged forward and she buried her face in her hands. "Raizo…what are we going to do?" Her voice was muffled by her palms.

Said male reached out and ran his hands through her hair. He repeatedly slid his fingers through her silky locks and would occasionally brush against her jaw and throat. Mika slowly looked up and met his gaze. And just from looking into his eyes, she could tell he was just as unsure about their situation as she was. He wanted comfort. She wanted comfort. Would it be so wrong to fulfill both of their needs? The brunette slowly shifted forward from her seat on the floor until she was on her hands and knees and closed the small distance between them—holding eye-contact. When she was close enough, she rested her hands delicately on his knees and leaned in close. He was breathing hard, struggling to kill every animalistic urge that he had (and there were many) to push her to the floor and have his way with her.

Their noses were just inches apart and their eyes barely open. She was hesitating. He was hesitating. Who would make the first move? Her warm breath would blow upon his lips whenever she exhaled—her lips slightly parted. Damnit, he couldn't take it anymore. There was the possibility that she would be gone forever. Mika. The woman he longed for. He had let her go once before all those months ago. She wouldn't slip away so easily this time.

All he had to do was tilt his chin upwards. Their lips met and Mika closed her eyes in ecstasy. She moaned softly against his soft lips. It was enough to send shivers down his spine and made him squeeze his hands into fists. _Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it!_ he constantly reminded himself. Gently, oh so gently, he rested his hands on her hips. Eagerly, Mika pushed herself up against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. The kiss morphed into something much more passionate. Their lips opened and tongues entered the equation. His arms encircled her waist and his hands reached up to massage her back.

Before he knew it, Raizo was on his back and Mika was straddling him, still kissing him fiercely. Finally. The moment she had so patiently awaited. The brunette broke away for a few seconds to allow them both some air before leaning in again to reclaim those sweet lips. She slowly started to rock her hips and grind into him. This made him lean his head to the side and groan.

"Mika…"

She removed her arms from around his neck and hastily began to unbutton his shirt. As she did so, Raizo reached up to undo the fat bow just above her navel that held her crimson robe together. When he yanked on the ribbon, her robe loosened instantly and the silky fabric fell from around her shoulders. Before he could get a chance to fully admire her tight, black bra, he threw his head back onto the floor and moaned—grinding the heels of his feet into the ground. Mika had successfully opened his shirt and was now sucking on one of his nipples—massaging the other with masterful fingers. After eliciting a few more of those _delicious_ moans, she kissed a trail to the hollow of his throat, up the side of his neck, along his jaw, and finally reached her destination—his lips. His were perfect and pink, hers were full and supple. She sucked at his bottom lip and he gladly returned the favor.

The two went on like this for what felt like five minutes, but was, in actuality, a little over an hour. By the end, their garments remained on their persons and Mika lay draped across his rigid form. She had her head nestled in the crux of where his neck and collar bone met. He was gliding his fingers over her bare back—erecting bumps of excitement along her skin.

"Raizo," she said, voice slightly muffled due to her lips being pressed against his skin. "I don't ever want to lose you."

He sighed and his massaging fingers probed deeper into her flesh. "I know. I don't want to lose you, either. I promise…I promise that I will do my best."

Mika pulled back to see his face. His playful smirk had vanished, replaced with a grim frown.

"I don't want to let you down, Mika. I…I want to do my very best. For you."

"Raizo—"

"But sometimes I feel that my very best won't be enough. I just…I just…," he was getting frustrated, at a loss for words.

That was when Mika cupped his face in her hands and tilted his head to the side so she could gaze lovingly into his eyes. "Raizo…whatever you can do, what you've _been_ doing, will be enough. In fact, it's been more than enough." Then, Mika took a deep breath. "Raizo, I love you. One fight with Kenji's not going to change that."

Raizo smiled warily at her and seemed to shy away. He didn't have to say a word. His eyes said it all. He couldn't speak the words that she wanted to hear. "Mika…I really like you, but I just…"

"I understand," she murmured.

"It's hard to explain, but I can't say those words to you. It's not that I don't have feelings for you—I do!—it's just that…it's very difficult for me. You must understand I've never felt this way before. To have such emotions resurface after so many years of repression?" He chuckled. "Sometimes it hurts."

The brunette reached up and ran her fingers through his hair; brushed it away from his face. "Raizo," she said, a slight laugh in her voice, "I told you I understand. I know you're not ready. And I'm…somewhat okay with that." She laughed. "But, when or if you decide you're ready, I'll be here."

Raizo released a relieved sigh. "Thank you, nae salang." Mika quirked a brow and he grinned. "It's Korean. It means: my darling."

"Oh." A soft shade of red spread across her chocolaty skin. Maybe, just maybe, she could learn to love Raizo without the feeling being mutual. But that one question would still pick, and gnaw, and wrack her brain.

Would he _ever_ feel the same?

* * *

(1) A cheval mirror is a long, ovular, standing mirror. Just incase you were wondering. If you're still curious, Google it, man.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Heeyyy, y'all! Chapter seven is finally here! You excited, or what? My BETA repeatedly called me a perv while reading through this.

…Am not! Do you think so? Anyways, thanks again to all y'all reviewers. I've replied to all that I was able to (meaning all that I could press the little 'reply' button).

Please Read, Review, and Enjoy. :D

**Chapter 7: Promise**

_**Two weeks later…**_

He moved swiftly through the halls. The soft carpet felt good against the coarse skin of his bare feet. The halls of the dojo were dark and empty—save for him, of course. His breathing was shallow and measured, his footsteps careful and soundless. Although he walked around normally without making a sound, he was in a place full of ninjas just like him. Which meant any noise he heard, they certainly heard. Of course, his mission would have been a Hell of a lot easier if ninjas slept, but they were _ninjas_. Ninjas never sleep. They just close their eyes and meditate for six hours. So, that meant he couldn't hear himself breathe, he couldn't hear his feet rise and touch the floor, couldn't hear the articles of his clothes brush together. For then it would all be over. They would know exactly where he was and likely what he was up to.

He was going to see (1)Sinbi. No one in the clan really knew much about her. She was a good enough fighter, though she only proved it when called upon in training. Her forte was in the growing and knowledge of herbs. She grew the herbs they used in their meals, for treating wounds and illnesses, and, occasionally, for assassinations. If it would be too risky for one of the ninjas to get their hands dirty, then she would brew a toxic tea that could kill within the first sip.

He wouldn't need a tea of that caliber, but he was sure she could water something down to suit his needs.

When he came to her door, he looked left then right. He closed his eyes and listened. To the untrained ear, there was complete silence. But he could hear his brothers and sisters in the surrounding rooms breathing, softly as they were. Once he was sure everyone was still 'asleep', he changed forms. Suddenly, he was just a silhouette—black as ink. Now a part of the shadows, he fell to the floor and eased under the centimeter of space just below the door. A thick curl of what looked like black smoke rose into the air on the other side. It curled and danced for a short while before it began to fade. And when the darkness had dissipated, he stood in its place.

Sinbi was standing in wait. She had her hands held out and in her cupped hands laid a small beige pouch. In it was everything he would need. He watched her with unreadable eyes as she slowly pulled at the opening of the bag. She turned the opening towards him and he nodded. Inside he could see a bundle of leaves and a strip of paper—instructions. Sinbi then drew the drawstring on the bag and placed it in her cupped hands once more.

The male reached for the bag, and as soon as he had his fingers around it, dissolved into the shadows. His smoke-like form lingered over her hand for a moment before receding and slithering under the door from whence it came. And even minutes after he had gone, Sinbi still felt his aura. It was dark. It was almost smothering. It was pure evil.

* * *

Raizo was seated on a stone bench, watching the women train. The clap of their wooden sticks meeting filled the air. And as he watched them, he paid special attention to the curve of their lips, their chests, their toned legs. And even as he drank them in, there was nothing he truly admired about them. Sure, they were beautiful with their pallid skin and jet black hair. But Mika… Mika was like a whole other species in comparison. Her beauty was something to be coveted. She was built differently, looked differently, smelled differently.

The male licked his lips in remembrance of the night they had kissed. Tasted differently.

So as he sat and watched, he tried to feel something. Anything. But none of them piqued his interest. None of them made the hairs on the back of his neck stand. None of them made his heart pound. Not like Mika did. She was the only one who filled him with such want, such need, such _hunger_. At times, he was amazed by his self-control. Then, his thoughts took on a whole new path. Suddenly, all he could see was her. And she had her back up against a wall, towel loosely held around her figure. A slow smile spread across her face. The fingers that kept the towel up began to uncurl. The next thing he saw was the cotton towel pool around her ankles. Before he got a chance to look up and ogle his mind's conjuring, he felt the presence of another.

He turned his head to see the object of his dreams, his fantasies.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Yes. I was just thinking."

She smiled and scooted close to him, leaned her head against his shoulder. "What about?"

"You." The word slipped through his lips before he could think the wiser. He felt a sudden surge of blood rush to his cheeks. He instantly regretted even speaking.

"Raizo~!" Mika squealed. "Really?"

He groaned and closed his eyes.

"Aw!" She threw her arms around him and nuzzled his neck.

He just sat there. He should have seen this coming. Now she was _never_ going to let him live it down. He sighed.

"Mika…could you..."

She looked up to see the annoyance in his eyes. She quickly removed her arms and folded her hands in her lap. "Right. Sorry. I forgot that you're not one for PDA."

He arched an eyebrow in question.

"Public Displays of Affection?"

"Oh. Yeah…"

Mika sat there obediently for all of 60 seconds before flinging herself on him again. "You're just too sweet, Rai."

"Rai?" he asked warily. When she batted her eyelashes at him he rolled his eyes. "Okay, that's it." He stood suddenly and Mika was forced to release her grip on him. He headed for the doors leading to the dojo.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

"Away from you," he tossed over his shoulder.

"Ouch. Can I come?"

Raizo took a deep breath and just shook his head. _Yep. She's never going to let me live this down_. And even though he didn't like to be fondled and even though that new nickname, 'Rai', made him wince, he couldn't stop the small smile that settled on his lips.

* * *

It had been three hours since Raizo had left. And for three hours, she had searched. He seemed pretty set on remaining hidden. Usually, he couldn't keep himself away. Now? It was as if she had leprosy. At first, Mika saw it as a fun little game of hide and seek. Now, it was just plain frustrating. Did she do something to upset him? He enjoyed it when she hugged him. Sometimes, she thought, more than she did. Was it the nickname? Mika thought back to the expression on his face. It was a look of wary skepticism. Okay, so he didn't like it. But so much so as to avoid her?

Mika rolled her eyes and an exasperated moan left her. Why did he have to be so difficult? Then, she remembered what had happened before the nickname, before the hug. He had admitted to thinking about her. There! That was when his mood had shifted. Was he ashamed of his feelings for her? A slow smirk curved the corners of her mouth. If he was ashamed, then what had he been thinking about? It was a stretch, but Mika was willing to believe he was thinking all sorts of naughty things about her. Normally, she would have been disgusted and creeped out upon such findings. But this was Raizo. And Raizo was fucking sexy. Believing that his thoughts were filled with images of her made Mika feel nothing but pride. And a bit wet, admittedly.

The brunette cleared her throat and looked around. Good. No one was in the hall way, no one could smell the scent of her lust. Or so she hoped. Deciding to look one last place before giving up and retreating to Tanjao's library, she headed for her room.

When she opened the door, her breath caught in her throat. Well, she had found a ninja. But he was a ninja she had hoped she would never have to see again.

"It's about time you showed up."

"Where's Raizo?" she asked weakly.

"Avoiding you."

The comment hit her with blunt force. Raizo didn't want anything to do with her, it would seem.

He opened his arms and made 'come hither' motions with both hands. "I won't run away from you."

"Get out." Though she meant to speak those words with resolve, she mumbled them and kept her eyes to the floor.

"C'mon. This is how you treat someone who's trying to help you out?"

"Help me out?" She looked up and pinned him with an icy glare. "The last time I was alone in a room with you, you…you tried to…"

"Now, now, let's not dwell on the past. A fresh start for a fresh day?"

She scoffed. "Forget about it."

Kenji leaned forward so he wasn't leaning against the wall. "You really hold a grudge."

"Guess so." She wasn't in the mood for his crap. He had been nothing but bad news from the start. She stepped aside and gestured loosely to the opened door.

He held up placating hands. "Okay, okay. I can take a hint." He sauntered across the room with that slow, predatory gate of his. Once he reached her side, he stopped—seeming to have changed his mind. But unbeknownst to Mika, he had never intended to leave. She obviously didn't know him if she thought he had come on a whim. Or if she thought he was simply going to _leave _when she gave the word. He almost broke down and laughed.

He reached out suddenly and grabbed her wrist. "Mika. Come with me."

She turned her head to the side and shot him an incredulous look. "_No_."

He yanked his arm back with such incredible force that she lost her balance and nearly toppled over. Instinctively, she reached for the nearest object to latch onto. Unfortunately, it was Kenji. Now, her arms were clinging around his neck, her body awkwardly propped up against his, his lips level with her eyes.

And Mika watched as those lips morphed into a smirk. An insidious smirk. A smirk that held malicious intentions. A smirk that promised she wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon.

"Mika."

She tilted her head upwards slowly to meet his gaze. She tried hard to keep the fear from being visible in her eyes.

"That wasn't a request."

* * *

Kenji had dragged her through the halls without hindrance. Although she had tried to fight back, when he painfully twisted her arms behind her back, those efforts were effectively squelched. And even as they passed ninjas wandering the corridors, none of them did anything to stop the blond. They all just went on about their business, as if he hadn't taken her captive. Those who _did_ look him in the eye received a warning scowl.

Eventually, she was pushed through a pair of doors that led outside. Before her was a concrete courtyard. It was empty save a tall, wooden stake at one end with a shelf of swords standing not far off. Mika had paused for a brief moment to gaze in wonder. Kenji gruffly pushed her forward and she continued. She felt like cattle. When they reached the stake, he released her arms.

The brunette rubbed at her sore limbs. There were red, swollen marks on her arms from where his hands had mercilessly gripped her. "What the Hell is your problem?"

"You don't want to know why you're here?" he asked with that usual pretentious air of his.

"Why not?" She looked skywards before glaring at him. "Why _am_ I here, _Kenji_?"

He smiled, impassive to her biting sarcasm. "Great! This, my dear Mika, is where you will be executed in one week."

She paled. Her eyes widened and her jaw drooped.

"Well, that seems to have had some impact." He grinned. Kenji waltzed up to the stake and stroked it lovingly. "You'll be tied to this wonderful stake here, and, in front of the whole clan, one of those swords," he nodded his head in the direction of the shelf, "will be thrust right through your sweet little heart." He pressed both hands against his chest over where his own pulsing muscle lay. He watched all too enthusiastically as she shook from fear. "So, Mika, what do you think?"

She opened her mouth, but she couldn't find the words to speak. All she could think, all she could _see_ was herself strapped to the dreaded piece of wood, blood gushing from her chest. A chill ran up and down her spine.

"W-Why would you show me this…"

He shrugged. "Thought I'd give you something to think about."

She shook her head slowly and shuddered once more. "You're sick, you know that?"

"Thanks." He winked.

"How'd you even become a ninja, anyway? Aren't all ninja supposed to be Asian?" She glanced from his blonde hair to his green eyes.

"Well that's a bit racist, don't you think?" When she didn't answer, he laughed. "I suppose you're right. I'm not your generic assassin, am I? You see, Tanjao and I have a symbiotic relationship. I have money, the clan needs money… In essence, the clan needs _me_. Being that I'm one of the best assassins on the market was just an added bonus." He folded his arms over his chest—proud.

"You're not better than Raizo."

That wiped the cocky smile right off his face. He barred his teeth and looked away, hatred evident in his eyes. "Raizo is nothing."

"So you say. But he's a threat, isn't he? That's why you're so eager to get rid of him. You want to prove that you're worth more than what you've got in the bank. You don't want to just be known as the clan's benefactor. The little boy who pays his way. They have talent and skill, you have money."

He took a threatening step towards her. "I'd watch what you say, if I were you."

"Or what? You'll pay me to death?"

"Even better. I'll execute you right here, right now—save you the wait."

Mika had nothing to say. Execution, a word she thought she would never have linked to her.

"That's what I thought. Now, run along. Raizo's waiting for you in your room." She opened her mouth to inquire as to how he knew, but he beat her to it. "Ninja, remember?"

The brunette swallowed and slowly backed towards the doors of the dojo.

"Remember this place," he called out to her. "You'll be seeing it again in the near future."

She turned around and kept moving. She felt sick right down to her very core. She almost considered stopping in one of the bathrooms just in case she had to hurl, she felt so horrid. Her hands were trembling and her forehead and neck were coated in sweat that anxiety brought along.

_Death. Death so soon_.

She was so young. As she made her way to her room, she did so subconsciously. She felt her stomach sink and twist into knots. Her breaths were quick and short. All she could think was: _I don't want to die._

So, when she finally emerged from her thoughts, she was thoroughly surprised to find herself standing in the doorway of her room, Raizo staring. She didn't even ask him where he had been. She just walked up to him, threw her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. "I don't want to die," she murmured.

He reached up to stroke her hair. He had expected rage or annoyance. Not this. He didn't know whether to be glad or troubled. "You know I won't let that happen."

"I know, I know." She barely believed her words.

They stood there for a while. Mika pressed against Raizo, Raizo stroking Mika's back assuredly.

Finally, she said, "I saw it."

"Saw what?"

"The…the wooden stake."

Raizo's hand stopped moving. He stopped breathing for a few seconds. Then, he resumed massaging her back. Inhaled. "I'm assuming you didn't find it on your own."

"I had some unwanted help."

Kenji. The name instantly came to mind. Before he even had a chance to feel rage, memories flooded his head. Memories of that one, dreadful day. Kiriko. She had been tied to a similar stake and executed by Takeshi. His first love killed by his alleged brother. Just the thought of Mika and Kenji in their place made his chest ache. He had sat by silently as Kiriko's heart was pierced with a katana. He couldn't relive that mistake.

That was when he realized it was all happening again. This was his second chance. This time, things were going to play out differently, he'd make sure of that. And, though he hoped and prayed it wouldn't come to that, and though he doubted he would lose to his elitist 'brother', he had to have a back-up plan. Just in case. He had slain many of the members of his old clan, so why couldn't he do it again? The only difference would be his motive. Mika.

That was when he made the promise. "Mika, you will not die. And I'll make sure of it, even if it's the last thing I do."

"Well, for someone who doesn't love me, that's awfully noble."

He chuckled. He was willing to give his life for her—_had_ been willing so many times in the past. Most people would label that as love. But Raizo was still skeptical.

Love involved trust.

And trusting he was not.

* * *

(1)Sinbi is Korean for mystery.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Hurray! Chapter Eight is finally here! Sorry this took me so long to upload. It had been written for quite some time now, but my BETA and I had...communication issues. lol

But anyway! Here it is! ^_^ Please Read, Review, and Enjoy~!

* * *

**Chapter 8: A Night of Peace**

_**Six days later…**_

He swung the kusarigama with such force that he created a rush of air that blew his hair back. The muscles in his arm rhythmically tensed and relaxed, veins rising all along his skin. As he switched the chain from hand to hand, the blade end of his weapon doing twenty revolutions a second, he clenched his jaws. His shirtless body was coated in sweat—exposing his horrendously scarred abdomen, arms, and back. He had his hair tied back into a short ponytail and a pair of black hakamas hanging on his hips. Ninjas usually wore the customary garb of a black robe and pants, but Raizo wasn't your ordinary ninja. It was more comfortable to practice without a shirt. It allowed his skin to breathe and allowed him to see his scarred flesh. It reminded him of his past failures, his past weaknesses. Each slash in his skin, each reddish-black gash, represented a mistake. He had messed up, so he had been wounded. Now, this doesn't mean that Raizo made mistakes often. He just so happened to be up against a _ninja_ every time he had been in a fight. So, yes, they got a few hits in. But he's still alive. Meaning, they could slice him across the chest a couple times, but in the end, it would be _their_ heads rolling along the floor; their torso split in half.

Sweat dribbled from his hairline down the side of his face and ran down to the point of his chin before dropping to the floor. Although his hands were moist, his grip was firm. Anyone watching would say, without a doubt, that he was ready. No one in the dojo could wield a kusarigama like Raizo. No one. But it just wasn't enough. Raizo wasn't even _remotely_ content until his skin was rubbed raw and his hands were bleeding and until he felt that he was going to faint from exhaustion. And he could train for five hours straight before even beginning to feel the lactic acid tingling in his limbs.

He could settle for nothing less than perfection. Which wasn't necessarily a good thing being that no one is perfect. He had been swinging the chain, slicing the blade at the end of said chain through the air, wrapping it around his arms and unwrapping it in quick succession for at least seven hours now. When he finally stopped, he looked down at his hands to see deep gashes like trenches filled with blood in his palms. Time to practice with a new weapon. He carefully wound up the kusarigama and set it aside. Raizo then reached for a katana and set to work. In less than 24 hours, his actions would determine the fate of another. It was a pretty big burden to carry. But this was not the first time he had ever been stressed.

Not by a long shot.

* * *

As she pored over the worn book, she kicked her legs anxiously under the desk. She had her elbows on top of the desk and her face inches from the pages. Some locks of hair had come loose from her messily put together bun and tickled her face and chin. After her eyes shot from left to right, left to right, reading and absorbing words at an alarming rate, she hastily turned the page, and the cycle continued. She was reading about the torture stake. She could think of nothing else, _dream_ of nothing else. And she had Kenji to thank for that. The narcissistic bastard.

**Weakness compels strength. Betrayal begets blood.**

That was the Law of the Nine Clans. Mika paused after reading this. Betrayal. Who had Raizo betrayed? She thought back to the beginning. Way back to when this whole ordeal had started. She was supposed to be dead. Could his disobedience be marked as betrayal? That was the only way the Law could be applied. Raizo had 'betrayed' the clan in no other way. But, Mika supposed, Tanjao would come up with countless reasons to justify what would happen to her should Raizo fail. If he lost, she would die one way or another. If not the Master, then Kenji would make sure of that.

Mika raised her head and closed her eyes. Her eyes burned from staring at the book for so long. She gently closed it and stood to put it back on its shelf. She then left Tanjao's small library and started for her room. It was eight in the evening—the time Raizo had instructed her to meet him. When she stepped into her room, she found said male sitting on her bed (which was actually just a mat with a blanket over it). He was coated in sweat and she noticed rivulets of blood snaking from his hands down his arms.

"Raizo…what happened?" She approached him slowly before kneeling down and gently taking his hands in hers. She examined his wounded hands with shock and awe as she tenderly stroked his fingers.

He shrugged. "I was just training."

"Don't you think this is a bit much?"

"No," he stated simply.

Mika took a deep breath and rolled her eyes. "You're crazy." She then cupped his face in her hands and pressed her lips against his.

He sighed when she touched him and groaned when she kissed him. He never could seem to get enough. He reached up to tangle his hands in her hair when she caught them. "Uh-uh. I don't want your dirty hands in my hair."

"You never complained before."

Mika raised a brow and smiled at his comment. She liked this flirty side of him. "Well, your hands weren't all bloody before."

He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine. I'll go wash them. Come with me?"

"Why not? And are you sure that you only want to wash your _hands_ while we're there?" She gave him that impish little look she always did when she wanted something out of him.

"We'll see." He stood, stepped around her, and left the room.

Mika was rooted to her spot. Did he just…? Usually, whenever Mika got all suggestive, he shook his head and politely declined. But now… Maybe today was her lucky day! She scrambled to her feet, fell over, and shakily got to her feet again before bolting out of the room and racing to the hot spring out back. Oh hot damn, maybe Raizo would _finally_ give in! Mika suddenly felt very proud of herself as she raced through the halls. She knew his self-control couldn't last forever.

She skidded to a halt in front of the door that led to the spring. She took a few steadying breathes, smoothed out her dress, and tussled her hair a bit. She had to make sure her hair looked good before it got messed up. When she waltzed in, she noticed him sitting on one of the rocks near the steaming water—hands clean and still clothed.

_Damnit!_

"What took you so long?"

"What do you mean? I was right behind you."

"You weren't. Because if you _were_, I would have been able to give you a special gift."

The brunette felt like bashing her head against the nearest wall. He _was not_ talking about what she thought he was. "A special gift?" she asked slowly.

He nodded and a slow smirk curved his lips. "Yes. A gift I know you've been waiting a long time for."

Mika wrote off her sudden dizziness as a side-effect of being near the hot spring. "So…can I have it?"

He shrugged. "Well, I can't give it to you _now_. You came too late."

Her jaw went slack. "Do you mean…"

He nodded.

"And you were going to…"

"Uh-huh."

"With me?"

His smirk turned into an outright grin.

This time, Mika could not withhold her frustration and slapped the palm of her hand onto her forehead before exclaiming, "Damnit!"

He chuckled.

"Oh, come on, Raizo! That's not fair."

"Life's not fair."

"True, but this is just torture!"

He shrugged and slid from his place on the rock. He walked over to her and folded Mika in a warm embrace.

She didn't seem too thrilled by the action.

"Come, nae salang, time for bed," he murmured in her ear.

She grumbled something underneath her breath. She turned on her heels and reluctantly stepped back into the dojo. The lights that lined the halls had been put out—nothing but glowing embers left in their place. When the two arrived at Mika's room, she paused in the doorway. Before he could ask if something was troubling her, she turned to face him and asked, "Will you sleep with me?"

Now, normally, a woman wasn't so straight-forward when it came to such…things. This was hint number one. Hint number two was the look in her eyes. Raizo didn't find lust or hunger there, only sincerity. And hint number three: the tone of her voice. She didn't sound like a small, feeble child who was terrified of the night, but like a beautiful young woman who just wanted some company.

Raizo swallowed. His first instinct was to say no. Or, if he was a worldly man, _Hell_ no. Sleep with her, the day before the duel with Kenji? Yeah, that wouldn't be distracting at all. But the more he gazed into those loving eyes, the more his resolve melted. No. He wouldn't…he couldn't…he shouldn't…?

"Sure. Why not?"

Wait a sec… What just happened there? Did he just—?

Mika's smile just barely curved her lips. She gently took his hand and guided him further into her room. As he went, he slid the door closed behind them. The brunette didn't even bother with changing and settled with sleeping in her dress. She slowly lowered herself onto her sleeping mat and curled up on her side. After a while, when she didn't feel strong arms around her, she looked up.

And there Raizo was. Standing there all awkward-like.

"Oh, come on, Rai. I just wanna cuddle," she cooed.

Raizo rolled his eyes. "Stop calling me that." And yet, he got to his knees (none too gracefully) and lay down next to her. He was tense. Rigid. What was he supposed to do next? Actually fall asleep? Then, Mika groaned in annoyance and reached behind her. When Raizo saw her hand fumble around next to his, he quirked a brow. But, when she finally got a hold of it, he understood. She pulled his hand over her side and held it against her stomach. His face warmed and his heart started to race.

Oh.

Mika closed her eyes and stroked his fingers with her own.

Yep, this was definitely a bad decision. Raizo could stay no longer. He had to go. For if he remained, he feared that he would break down and do unspeakable things to her. Things she had been secretly pining for, but things that he forbade himself to do. It was so difficult to just…lie there. His heart and mind loved to be so peaceful and simple—to just be close and touch her. But his genitalia seemed to have a completely different opinion.

"Raizo?" she murmured. If the sound of her voice was anything to go by, sleep was imminent.

"Yes?"

Mika let out a long, slow breath. She could hear trees whispering through the thin walls. She blinked, unsure of how to pose the question. She bit her bottom lip and frowned. She was thinking about it again. The fight. And how much she loved him. Loved him with all that she had. And all that she didn't have.

And then some.

She clenched her eyes closed and bid the sadness to leave her be. Yes, she feared death. She was human, after all. But she feared not being able to see him again even more. Not being able to kiss him again. Not being able to touch him again. She wanted him to just hold her. Of his _own_ will. Not because she asked or because she dragged his hand over her side. But because he wanted to. Because he…liked her.

Mika breathed another sigh, this one more pained than the last.

* * *

Raizo remained ever still. He _had _been waiting for her to ask whatever was on her mind, but, if her light snoring was anything to go by, she was fast asleep. He just gazed at the back of her head; her long, wavy tresses of brown. His eyes then trailed down the length of her body. From her shoulders, down her arms, to the dip of her waist on which his arm lay, up to the gentle hill that was her hip, and down again to her slim thighs. Gorgeous. He wished he could see her like this for all eternity. He wished to capture that moment and keep the picture forever. So still. So at peace. Yet…there was a small part of him that wished to shred and burn said picture.

Because it did not include him.

Just his arm. Raizo's eyes softened as he pondered this. Whenever he was involved, she never looked like this. She never breathed this easily.

Undisturbed. Motionless. Tranquil.

Whenever he was involved, she suffered. And he knew this. And he hated himself because of this. And he berated himself because of this. Why did he cause her so much pain? Why was it so difficult? Why was it so difficult to leave? He supposed it was because he was selfish. He hated himself for that, too. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense, and the more it made his blackened heart ache. He could have said 'no' on so many occasions. Could have told her it would be better for both of them. But he didn't. He didn't say 'no' because he had caved in to his desires. And now look where they were: Hours away from a bout that would determine if she could live another day.

And it was entirely his fault.

He could have saved her all of this trouble. She could be somewhere else, with someone who could promise security, someone who wasn't so damn afraid to tell her he loved her. Raizo closed his eyes and held his breath. He needed to clear his head. Those thoughts did nothing but bog down his mind with dejection. After a moment, when he rid himself of self-pity, he exhaled and breathed again. He knew what had to be done. It may break both of their hearts, but it was for the best. It was for the best. Or, so he kept telling himself.

His mind made, Raizo surfaced from his thoughts and refocused on Mika. Her body moved slightly as she breathed deeply—asleep. Slowly, Raizo moved closer. Inch by inch, afraid of waking her. A few moments later, he was pressed against her. Then, he leaned his head against her shoulder. He slid one arm protectively above her head and buried his hand in her hair.

He closed his eyes.

Almost instantly, he could hear and feel the soft, gentle beat of her heart. _Ba-dump…ba-dump…_

He would not sleep tonight. He never did. But he would be at peace. Because he knew who had come to be his whole world would be slipping away very soon. But, for now, she was his to hold.

And he would hold on until the very last second. He would be selfish until the very last second. Until the very end. Then…

He would let her go.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **I'm so terribly sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter out. I've had this written for a while now, but two things kept me from posting it: my dislike for it and my BETA's absence. With that said, don't be surprised if you find any grammar mistakes or something. My B! (Which means 'my bad' for all you not-so-hip people lol) I'm not good at writing fight scenes, as you'll soon find out. –sigh- Tell me if you think this chapter is any good. I personally am not happy with it. ):

Another apology to all my faithful, wonderful reviewers! Sorry I wasn't able to reply to all of your reviews. I've been such a busy bee lately. I just wanted to let you guys know that your words do matter, that I do read them, and that they make me feel worthwhile. So sorry, and thanks. :)

Please Read, Review, and Enjoy~

* * *

**Chapter 9: Victory and Loss**

_**One day later…**_

Raizo used his foot to close the door, a silver platter in his hands. He took his seat, while carefully balancing the heavy platter, in front of Mika. He set the tray down in between them and rested his hands on his knees. He donned a pair of black hakamas and a (1)Haori that fit snugly around his torso. Mika had seen him dressed like this a few times before, and she had felt a different emotion each time. Excitement. Anticipation. Anxiety.

But never had she felt what she was feeling now.

Fear.

His strong hands reached out and lifted the kettle, pouring piping hot tea into their cups. "You're worried," he said without looking up from his task.

Mika kept her eyes trained on her cup. She watched the steam rise and curl in the air before dissipating.

Raizo, finger hooked through the dainty handle, brought the cup to his lips and sipped silently. He noticed through partially lidded eyes that Mika had yet to move. She was in the same position that he had left her in. Chin tilted down, eyes gazing in the same direction, and her limp hands folded in her lap.

"Drink some tea. It will make you feel better."

Mika looked up, a solemn expression on her face. "No… I'm fine." She paused. "How much time do we have left?"

"About five minutes."

The young woman began to feel nauseas. It was a sinking, sickening feeling one got when they were about to speak in front of a crowd. A crowd of _thousands_ of people.

"Mika, please, drink the tea. The cooks made an exceptionally good brew today."

She shook her head. "It's too late now, anyway. We should go."

Raizo nodded, swallowed the last of his drink and set his cup down. The two left the room.

* * *

Mika was seated to the right of the Master. She watched, expressionless, as Raizo and Kenji wound black Hand Wraps around their hands. Raizo seemed at ease, motions fluid and deft, as if this was all routine. Kenji, on the other hand, wore a toothy grin and seemed to be restraining laughter. Mika shook her head when she observed this. Kenji truly was a sinister being. How she had ever felt any sort of emotion towards him was lost to her. Her eyes narrowed.

_Kick his ass, Raizo._

Glowing lanterns hung from the ceiling, the only source of light in the rectangular room. All of the ninjas had gathered and were seated against the far side of the room behind Mika and the Master.

This was it.

The day some had eagerly awaited, the day some had wished would never come. The two who were to fight stood on opposing sides of the room, facing each other. Emerald eyes locked with onyx.

The Master sighed and slowly got to his feet—back to his observing pupils. Everything about him was grim and somber. The look in his eyes, the form of his lips. Even the way he breathed. Mika could tell that he was not in favor of what was about to take place. But, this was his responsibility. He was the Master of Tanjao, and as a Master, he could not have favorites. He had to show Raizo, Kenji, and the whole clan that no one was above the Law.

"My sons, my daughters, today…two of our own will fight. Not for honor, not for pride, but to determine fate." His cold eyes fell to Mika and she swallowed.

"Today, one will win…and one will fall. You all know the terms of this fight. Should Raizo stand victorious, he and Mika may leave without dishonor. But, should he fail and Kenji arise the winner, then…," he paused. "Then, Mika will be sentenced to death. As is the Law of the Nine Clans." He turned to face his students. He took a moment and looked each and every one of them in the eye. He intoned, "Let this be a lesson to you all." He ended his speech with those heavy words and sat back down.

The silence was bone chilling.

In Raizo's hands was his favored Kusarigama. It shined and twinkled in the yellow light. In Kenji's grip were two katanas. They were, undoubtedly, as sharp as splintered glass.

"You may begin."

A slow smirk curved a corner of the blonde's mouth. Without a moment's hesitation, he shot forward. Mika's jaw went slack. _Christ, he's like lightning!_

One moment he was there, the next, he was face to face with Raizo. A high-pitched 'cling' resonated through the hushed room as blade met chain. Raizo stepped back and leaned to the side, effortlessly avoiding Kenji's blade that aimed to slice right through his skull.

He then reached out and grabbed the blade, yanked it and the arm that held it forward, and kicked. His bare foot made contact with Kenji's shoulder. Said male staggered backwards a few paces as a result. After rotating his arm a few times, sinister smile on his lips, he came at Raizo yet again. Their movements were fast, yet precise. They were true machines of accuracy and strength. Kenji wielded those katanas as those they were actual extensions of his arms. He sliced at Raizo from every direction. Diagonal, horizontal, up, down, jab, kick, punch, repeat. But, with every move he made, Raizo had a counter. Deflect, deflect, kick, strike, duck, dodge, kick, knee.

Mika watched them go at each other in a state of awe. They were amazing. And even as the minutes turned to hours and sweat collected into shallow pools on the floor, they never seemed to tire.

But then…a sudden change. Raizo delivered a crippling blow via his knee to Kenji's abdomen. The blond let out an involuntary breath and crumpled forward. Raizo took advantage of his position, raised his leg, and snapped his foot out. Kenji went flying. When he landed, he landed with a thud and on his back.

The blonde's eyes narrowed and hot air shot out of his nose as he snorted—like an angry bull. He threw his katanas into the air. While his weapons were still airborne, he planted his hands behind his head, palms down. He then brought his knees to his chest and kicked both legs out with surprising strength—springing himself up and landing on his feet. He did all of this in time to effortlessly catch his katanas as gravity brought them back down.

He spit a mixture of saliva and blood onto the floor. He started to come at his 'brother' again and Raizo lashed out with his Kusarigama. Kenji deftly deflected the blade end of Raizo's weapon with his sword and continued forward. But, Raizo swung his weapon around so that it came at Kenji from behind and wrapped around his body twice, pinning his arms to his side. Then, the brunette wrenched the chain back. The metal chain cut through Kenji's clothing and skin like chicken wire. He was lifted off his feet and twirled in the air like a spinning top for a few seconds before falling to the ground yet again. When he slowly got to his feet, all could see the line that Raizo's chain-sickle had cut through Kenji's garment and skin. Raizo's chain had cut through whatever it had made contact with.

A corner of Kenji's mouth twitched. Anyone in the room could tell he was furious. Anyone in the room could tell he was starting to lose the battle.

"Rah!" Kenji charged. But Raizo was two steps ahead of him. Mika saw a flash of light and watched as Raizo skillfully maneuvered his weapon. The kusarigama flew at Kenji and its chain wrapped tightly around his neck. The blond stopped in his tracks. Raizo pulled on the chain and its grip around Kenji's throat tightened. The male coughed and choked. His katanas clattered as they hit the floor. Kenji's knuckles turned white as he fiercely gripped the chain that had his neck in a constrictor's grip.

Then, with amazing speed, Raizo yanked the chain towards him and Kenji reluctantly moved forward. Once he was close enough, Raizo swiftly whirled the ninja around, pounded his foot against Kenji's back and forced him to the floor. Luckily, the blond still had use of his hands to break his fall. Otherwise, his nose would have surely been broken upon impact with the wooden floor.

Now, Raizo stood with his foot tightly pressed on Kenji's back and the chain of the Kusarigama in his unrelenting grip. Kenji clenched his eyes shut. How had this happened?

Mika almost gave way to tears. Raizo had won! Now they could leave this dojo, leave all of this clan business behind and start anew. Now they could finally be together. She never liked to see people get hurt, but Kenji could hardly classify as a person. He was more like a wretched demon. He was—

Suddenly, Raizo's eyes began to flutter. The grip on his chain slowly began to loosen and he swayed from side to side. His whole body suddenly felt very tired. As if he had just run a marathon, swam eight miles, and then hiked up a mountain. His eyes continued to open and close rapidly as he fought off sleep. Where was this feeling coming from? It made absolutely no sense! Then, his whole body went completely limp and he fell backwards—body bouncing slightly as he slammed onto the ground.

Mika's eyes widened in horror. "Raizo!"

Kenji smirked. As he got to his feet, he carefully unwound the chain from around his neck. The metal links had left ovular imprints in his flesh. The blond took his sweet time bending over and retrieving his weapons. Then, he sauntered on over to Raizo's side. Kenji then began to twirl the swords in his hands and shake his head—as if he was pitying the brunette.

All Raizo remembered was standing over Kenji, feeling triumphant. The next thing he knew, he was opening his eyes, on his back, and screaming in pain. He looked down to see a horizontal slice on his hip. Blood oozed from the wound. Before Kenji could strike again, Raizo quickly rolled to the side and jumped up and on to his feet.

Then, everything went black.

And Raizo awoke, again, on his back, and howling due to agonizing pain. Three more gashes now marred his chest. "Agh…" Raizo sat up slowly and pressed a hand to his side to staunch the blood flow.

Kenji chuckled. "Oh how the tables have turned, brother~"

Raizo leveled him with a malignant glare.

And that was the last thing he remembered. Before waking to find himself pressed against a wall, that is. Raizo had his back to a wall and Kenji was leaning in awfully close. Raizo could hardly get his eyes to focus. It seemed that every time he blinked, minutes instead of seconds had gone by. And now, the whole room was spinning. He felt nauseas and what felt like a migraine was beating his head to death. Kenji then leaned in even closer, so close that his lips hovered right next to Raizo's ear.

"Did you enjoy the tea, brother?" he hissed.

Raizo's eyes widened in realization. But before he could speak, he was thrust into a world of pain. Kenji came at him from all sides. He was relentless. His blades cut the brunette's skin deep—almost to the bone. And to make matters worse, he was so weak that he could hardly defend himself. So Raizo had no choice but to stand there and take it. To let Kenji butcher him and beat him and shame him in front of the entire clan. And Mika.

Hers was the last face he saw before Kenji finally stopped. Hers was the last face he saw before his knees buckled and his blood-drenched body fell to the floor. His newly earned wounds throbbed and his raw flesh burned.

It was the third time he had seen Mika cry.

And it was the first time that he had ever felt like crying himself. But before tears could line his eyes, he fell asleep in what he prayed was finally death.

* * *

_**Three hours later…**_

He awoke with a pained moan. His eyelids fluttered for a moment before opening. Everything was a mix of black and white. Nothing but a grey-scale, enigmatic blur surrounding him. But, after a minute or two, items started to take on shape—started to take on distinct colors. He blinked once more. He sat up slowly and his shocked eyes traveled down the length of his body. Cuts, slashes, and gashes galore from neck to hips. Dried blood made his skin feel sticky. He turned his gaze to the ground on which he sat and noted that the pool of blood in which he had previously lain was nearly dry.

"You're awake."

The serene voice actually startled him, causing him to jump. He turned his head to see Mika. She was sitting at his side, legs crossed as if she was meditating and hands folded in her lap. How had he not sensed her presence? Raizo pressed his fingertips into the sides of his head. What was happening? Why did he feel so…weak?

"Wh…What happened?"

She raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You mean you don't remember?"

He shook his head slowly.

"Well…" The brunette twiddled her thumbs. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. As Raizo watched her, anxiety slowly began to build in his chest. Something bad had happened. _Really_ bad.

"You lost the fight, Raizo."

"Lost the…?" Suddenly, realization hit. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "No," he breathed.

The look of pure guilt and sadness on his face was enough to bring tears to Mika's eyes.

It was all coming back to him. The Master. Kenji. The fight. But how had he lost? As memories of the bout flooded his mind, he could not see where things had gone wrong. In fact, hadn't he been _winning_?

And then…he remembered.

The memory hit him with blunt force—the impact akin to an epiphany. Towards what he thought was sure to be the end of the fight, he had started to feel weak and his senses had dimmed. Raizo remembered feeling confused and helpless and nauseas. Then, Kenji swung at him like there was no tomorrow. He remembered every punch to the face and chest, every single stab and slice of his sharp blade. And before finishing him off, Kenji had spoken. Those words had been the last words that he heard before he fell flat on his face and plummeted into unconsciousness.

Raizo shook his head as he resurfaced from his memories. His heart-broken eyes turned to Mika. "Mika, I'm so sorry."

She shifted to her hands and knees and crawled forward. She wrapped him in a firm embrace and buried her head in his blood-spattered shoulder. "It's okay, it's okay." And she repeated those words as she held him in her arms. And even though she must have said those words twenty times, she cried as she spoke them.

Raizo did not speak. He just held on to Mika, knowing that this just might be the last time he would feel her warm and…alive.

No. It was not okay.

And, if it was the last thing he would ever do, he would make things right. Kenji had cheated. He was a low-down, self-absorbed, blasphemous, vile, conniving, devil. Kenji might have cheated Raizo out of winning the fight, but he would not cheat Mika out of her life.

A ninja slid open a door across the room, letting in the elements. Rain pattered softly on the wooden floors. "It's time," he said and slid the door closed.

The two were left in silence. Raizo pulled away and held Mika at arm's length. He looked into her warm, loving brown eyes. After a while, she nodded. A deal was a deal. Weakness compels strength. Betrayal begets blood.

* * *

One of the ninjas had just finished tying the last of the knots that bound Mika and quickly ran off to stand behind the Master. The highest ranking ninjas of Tanjao stood behind the Master, swathed in black. The rest of the clan members sat off to the side in their usual white suites. Raizo was at the Master's left, Kenji at his right.

Raizo remembered this scene far too well. Except, instead of Takeshi giving him that pretentious grin, it was Kenji. And instead of seeing his first love, Kiriko, bound to the stake, he saw Mika. She was drenched from the rain from head to toe, her green dress clinging to every inch of her damp, brown skin and to every curve of her body. Her hair was flat and clung to her cheeks and neck like glue.

Raizo gritted his teeth. He had left Ozunu because of this. He had left the life of a ninja because, unlike they had been brainwashed to believe, they were all murderers. Murderers who lived by a Law passed by older murderers. So, the question of the day: how the _hell_ had he managed to end up right back where he fucking started? Raizo clenched his eyes shut. Rage was bubbling up inside of him. Hate. Black, deep-seeded hate filled his entire being. It made his muscles tense and his blood run fast and hot. He let out a quick breath through his nose and opened his eyes. Lightning forked through the sky in the distance and bellowing thunder soon followed.

The Master cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Mika Corretti, today is the day of your execution. You and Raizo have broken the Law of the Nine Clans. Weakness compels strength. Betrayal begets blood. For your betrayal," he cast a glance at Raizo, "your blood will be offered. Do you understand?"

Mika nodded her head without hesitation. She was ready. She had read about what would happen and was prepared to face what lay ahead. The brunette chuckled under her breath. It looked like Kenji had been right. Why did evilness always prevail?

The Master stepped back into line with Kenji and Raizo. He then nodded his head towards Kenji. The blond smirked and started for the rack of swords.

"Wait."

All eyes turned to Raizo. Said male looked into the Master's curious eyes with as much severity as he could muster. "Let me do it."

Mika's eyes widened in astonishment. Kenji, on the other hand, gave him a suspicious glare. The Master mulled it over. He looked from one ninja to the other. Green eyes, to black.

"…Very well."

Kenji scoffed. As Raizo passed him, the blond grabbed Raizo's shoulder. "If you want to be the one to knife your girl, be my guest." He smiled, turned on his heels, and sauntered back to his position next to the Master.

Raizo wasted no time picking out a sword. He snagged the first one he saw. When he arrived at the stake, the look of disbelief in Mika's eyes almost made him change his mind. Almost. Wordlessly, he turned so that his back was to her. Then, he swiftly assumed the position. Mika jumped when she noticed his speed and saw the tip of the blade hovering just inches in front of the left side of her chest. Raizo had both hands on the hilt of the katana, right leg bent, the left straight—poised as if he was going to sprint into battle.

Raizo locked eyes with the Master. This was it. The Master heaved a saddened sigh, but nonetheless, nodded his head. Every one of the ninjas present trained their eyes on Raizo. It was suspicious enough that Raizo volunteered for the task, so if he hesitated, they would all know something was amiss.

So he didn't hesitate.

His grip around the hilt of the katana tightened and he shoved the sword backwards.

"Agh!" The blade plunge through her tender flesh, through muscle, through her ribs, and imbedded itself in the wooden stake behind her. Blood darkened the section of her dress in which the blade was imbedded before pouring forth. The pain was worse than she had ever imagined. If she so much as shifted, pain signals lit her synapses on fire. As blood quickly emptied her body, her skin paled. She soon found it difficult to breath, to move, to stay awake.

Raizo let go of the katana and stepped forward. Arms at his sides, he bowed low from the waist. The Master nodded in approval and left abruptly—heading for his room. The rest of the ninjas lingered for a while, looking at Mika's dying form before rising and returning to their tasks for the day. It was a quick procession, yes, but they all had better things to do than to watch someone die.

A few minutes ticked by and soon the only ones remaining were Kenji, Raizo, and Mika. Kenji waltzed up to Raizo and grinned. "Well, well, well, brother. I didn't think you had it in you. I'm glad you—"

"How could you?"

Kenji quirked a curious brow.

"You poisoned me."

"What?" Kenji took a step back in feigned bewilderment. "I would _never_."

"Oh, but you would. And you _did_. I should have won that fight and you know it."

Kenji rolled his eyes and waved the male off. "Yeah, whatever. You should have, but you didn't. The fact is, _I_ won and _your_ sweetheart is bleeding to death."

Raizo clenched his hands into fists. He was so tempted to rip the blonde's throat out.

"But don't worry!" Kenji said in a cheerful voice. Then, as soon as the cheer had appeared, it vanished. His smile was replaced with a vicious scowl and his eyes narrowed. In that instant, Raizo could see the hatred in his bright green eyes. In that moment, Raizo could sense…pure evil.

"You'll get over it," Kenji said evenly. His tone was biting and cold. He shot Raizo one last venomous glare before turning around and marching off.

Mika didn't hear a word either of them had said. She was too busy fighting to stay awake. If it wasn't for the tightly tied ropes that bound her, she would have collapsed onto the floor. Her lidded eyes traveled from the hilt and down the blade before her eyes landed on where the sword punctured her chest. So much blood. So much pain.

She was able to make out the faint sound of footsteps on the wet ground. With great effort, she lifted her head to see a ninja coming towards her. As the figure got closer, she could see his face and make out his features.

"Raizo," she breathed.

But when he finally arrived and placed a hand to her cheek, her eyes had fluttered closed. Her body went limp and her breathing…stopped.

* * *

(1) Haori are mid-length coats that serve as light coats to be worn over kimonos. Haori were originally meant to be worn by men as a component of the hakama. The original function of the haori was to keep the kimono from being exposed to the elements – Taken from the internet


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Well, guys, this is it. The day has arrived. This is the final chapter of **Only Time**! Thanks **Luna Rei** for BETAing my stuffs. I luh you, girl! :3 And a super thank you to all who have stuck with this story throughout the months that it took me to get it finished.

Now, I don't know about you, but I've grown quite fond of this pair, Mika and Raizo. What would you say to a sequel? Be sure to drop me a review saying that you'd like to see this story continued or if you think it ended just fine where it did! You guys have been a great audience to write to.

Au revoir.

* * *

**Only Time**

_When we're apart whatever are you thinking of?_

_If this is what I call home, why does it feel so alone? _

_So tell me, darling, do you wish we'd fall in love? _

_All the time, all the time._

**Chapter 10: In Pieces**

Raizo couldn't pull his eyes away. The rain continued to pelt them and the empty courtyard. He was on his knees and looking down at her. A few minutes earlier, when he had seen her close her eyes, he quickly untied her and laid her down on the ground. She was still bleeding, but if the blood flow was anything to go by, she was probably dead.

Sadness consumed him. Why hadn't it worked? He had planned so well…

He reached out and gingerly brushed his fingers over her hand. Her skin was cold to the touch. He closed his eyes. No. She…she couldn't be. She couldn't be gone.

He had been so meticulous! He thought his back-up plan would have been fool-proof. So, not only had he failed _twice_, but he had broken a promise. His promise to Mika. He brought his hands up and closed them around tufts of his hair—squeezing and pulling until it hurt. Why?

His heart ached.

Not Mika. Anyone but her.

_God, I'm such a fool. It should have been me. Not her._

Still gripping his hair at the roots, he bowed his head in misery and shame. Raizo had made a plan in the slim chance that he would lose the fight. And that plan had been to switch places with Kenji and impale Mika himself. And, even though it was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life, he did it.

But what he did was special. _She_ was special. He had imbedded the blade in the left side of her chest. Now, this blow would have killed any normal person within seconds. But Mika was different. You see, her heart lay in the right side of her chest. Whether Kenji had known that or not, Raizo wasn't sure. But, he opted to deliver the blow anyway. Besides, that way he could stay with the body after everyone had left.

But he had failed. Mika wasn't sitting up and cursing him and calling him crazy and kissing him and hugging him. She was lying on the floor, cold and flaccid. He doubted she was even breathing.

But…he still had to try. He had to try the last and final step of his harebrained plan. Raizo inhaled deeply and pressed both hands onto the blood-drenched hole in her chest. He closed his eyes and willed energy into his palms. He was attempting a technique that he had learned back when he was with Ozunu. It was a technique that channeled a decent amount of chakra to the user's wounds and caused them to heal. It worked on the most annoying of paper cuts to the most severe injuries. The first time he had ever used it on someone other than himself was on Mika. And back then, she had also had a sword plunged through her chest. Oh, the irony.

He opened his eyes and removed his hands. Nothing. Now, his hands slick with her blood, he turned his face skywards and bit back a scream. Furious, wrathful thoughts flooded his mind. Why was he so incompetent? Why had he been such a fool? Why was he so _worthless_?

Then, he froze. Raizo went stock-still; completely rigid. He slowly raised a trembling hand up to his face. Then, he gingerly touched his cheek with his index finger. He felt moisture. And it wasn't the rain, it wasn't the blood.

It was a tear.

For the first time in twenty-three years, Raizo had allowed a tear to fall.

It was after he felt this little drop of water which signified his failure that he also allowed his resolve to fall. He broke down and cried. Sobbed and wept into his bloody hands. "M-Mika…," he whispered as countless tears rolled down his cheeks and joined the rain on the floor.

He felt empty and cold.

Weak.

Disgustingly, disgracefully…_weak_.

He wanted to die. He wanted to take the same katana that he had used to kill his dear Mika and thrust it right through his own chest. He wanted this pain to go away. He wanted to go to a place where the sight of Mika laying there, lifeless and betrayed, would cease to haunt him.

But he had to try again, had to do everything in his power to bring her back. He pressed his hands over her wound once more. He stared wild-eyed at her face, waiting for the slightest movement, the shallowest of breaths.

Nothing.

Raizo moaned, the sound constantly stopping and starting up again as his chest heaved and his voice hiccupped. He fell down upon her and tangled his hands in her hair, pressing his damp face against hers.

"Oh, Mika," he cried, "I'm so sorry. I…I didn't mean…I didn't mean for this to happen. Please forgive me. Please forgive me..." He whispered those last words. Then, he lifted his head and pressed his lips against her cheek—a gentle kiss.

He clenched his eyes shut and lowered his head onto her neck. He wrapped his right arm around her and stroked her hair with his left hand.

His lips were mere inches from her ear. He took in a deep breath.

"Mika…"

He paused.

"I…"

He swallowed.

"I love you."

* * *

One minute had ticked by since he had spoken those words. Words he could never take back. Words he would never _want_ to take back. He felt a mixture of happiness and heart-crushing sorrow.

Happiness, because he had finally said that he loved her. Sadness, because she would never hear him. She had been bold. She had told him that she loved him. She had cared.

He had been afraid. He had denied his feelings for her and wouldn't speak what he felt. He was too late.

And now she was gone. It was such a shame that it took the death of his one and only to make him realize that he did, in fact, love her. He supposed that the saying was true: you don't know what you have until it's gone. And he had had it all. Someone who was always there for him, ready to come to his side at the drop of a hat. Someone who loved him unconditionally, _even though_ he thought he would never feel the same. Someone who gave her life for him. Someone who never doubted him.

Someone who was gone forever.

Raizo opened his eyes. There was nothing more he could do. He had tried to revive her, twice, but with no avail. It was time for him to go. And he knew just the place where he would lay her to rest. The lake in Paris. Though it held some bitter memories (it _was_ the place that he reunited with Kenji, after all), it was a place that brought back fond memories.

Raizo heaved a long-suffered sigh and began to sit up.

Then…

"…I love you too."

Raizo froze. His eyes went wide. He looked down to see a weak smile on Mika's beautiful face.

"M-Mika…?" He could hardly believe his eyes. Could it be? No…no. It must be his imagination.

"I always knew you loved me, you tease."

"Mika!" He collapsed upon her and held her tight. "Oh, Mika, thank God! I thought I lost you."

She coughed due to his sudden weight. "Raizo, please."

"Oh! Sorry." He sat up and she was able to breathe again. His smile was absolutely golden. "I'm so glad you're back."

Mika tried to laugh, but all that came out was a pained cough. "Heh. You and me both. But Raizo…?"

"Yes?"

"Did you mean what you said?"

He blinked. Of course he did. But did he have the guts to say it to her face? Did he have the strength to break his promise to himself that he would never love again?

He reached out and stroked her cheek. "Every word."

"Then say it. Look me in the eyes and say it."

Without hesitation, Raizo leaned forward and cupped Mika's face in his hands. "Mika Corretti…I love you." He closed his eyes and kissed those soft lips of hers. When he pulled away, Mika was beaming. And if it wasn't for the puffy, red rim around her eyes, the rain would have hid the fact that she was crying.

"What's wrong?" he inquired, concern obvious in his voice.

"I'm happy, that's all."

Raizo returned her smile. "Good. Do you think you can stand?"

"Well, I was just stabbed with a sword, but I'll see what I can do."

Raizo gave her a cold stare.

"What? Too soon?"

He rolled his eyes. "Ah, same old Mika." He slid his hand under her head and pushed up, helping her into a sitting position.

"Well what did you expect? Was I supposed to come out a changed person or something?"

"Isn't that how these things usually work?"

"This isn't a Disney movie, Rai."

The brunet winced at the nickname.

Mika quirked a brow, a playful smile on her lips. "Something wrong, _Rai_?"

Raizo clenched his jaws. "You sure know how to kill a mood, don't you?" Mika put an arm around Raizo's shoulder. He stood slowly, taking her with him. Half away up, she moaned and pressed her hand to her chest. Her eyes soon after widened in astonishment.

"Raizo! The wound! I-It's…it's gone!"

"Yep."

"You did this?"

"You act like this was the first time."

Mika blinked and took a moment to think it over. "Oh."

He chuckled.

After a few minutes, Mika was fully on her feet, propped up against Raizo.

"Thanks. For everything."

"Anything for you," he replied.

"So…what now? Won't the Master notice that my body mysteriously disappeared?"

"Just leave the details to me. I'll handle it."

Mika cast him a suspicious glance. "And, by 'handle it', you mean…?"

"No, I'm not going to kill anyone."

"Good." She smiled.

The two walked on like that for a bit, carefully avoiding any windows of the dojo and heading for the garage. Once they arrived, Raizo typed in a code and the door slid up. It was quite modern for such an old-fashioned clan. It was long and spacious—easily accommodating three motorcycles, two SUVs, and four exotic cars. Raizo helped Mika over to a canary-yellow Ferrari before running over to the key ring and snagging the keys for their new ride.

He unlocked the doors before he even reached the car. Mika gingerly lowered herself inside as he went around and climbed into the driver's seat. He jammed the key into the ignition, turned it back, and cranked the engine. He looked down. Stick shift. Just the way he liked it. He shifted into first and took off. A few seconds later, he pressed his foot down on the clutch and switched to second gear.

"Press that button up there for me."

Mika obliged and pressed a big blue button on the visor just above her head. The door to the garage closed behind them. "Don't you think they'll miss the car?"

"No. The Master knows I have to leave _some_how."

"So…you're not going back?"

He shot her an incredulous look. "No. Never. Not after what we went through."

"No more ninja clan business?"

"No. Well, at least not for a while. I left for exactly this reason, and it happened again. I think I'm done with ninjas for now."

"Wait, happened again?"

"It's a long story."

"I've got time."

Raizo smiled. "Maybe some other time."

"Oh, come on, Rai. It's not like you're going anywhere."

He didn't reply. And, if his body language was anything to go by, he was hiding something.

"You _aren't_ going anywhere, are you?"

He remained silent.

"_Raizo_."

He kept his eyes focused on the road.

"Raizo!"

"I am going somewhere."

"Where?"

"Do you want the truth?"

"No, I want you to lie to me. Yes I want the truth!" she snapped.

"I'm going somewhere very far away."

"Well, okay, I don't see what the big deal is. We can—"

"Without you."

Silence.

The brunette's jaw went slack. "You're kidding me." When he didn't make a reply, anger swept over her. "Are you serious? Raizo, you _killed_ me, then saved my _life_, and now you're leaving me?"

"Mika, I—"

"Please tell me this is some sick, cruel joke."

"It's not."

"I thought you loved me! Isn't that what you told me? That you love me?"

That cut him deep. Raizo turned his head for a moment and looked her in the eyes.

Mika just shook her head and then slammed it against the back of the seat. "Unbelievable," she muttered under her breath.

"Are you done?" When he didn't get an answer, he took the silence as a yes. "I'm only doing this for your safety. I know you may not understand now, but—"

"Stop the car."

"What?"

"Stop. The. Car."

He hesitated, but reluctantly pulled over. The rain had diminished into a quiet sprinkle and the sun was beginning to rise. Mika threw open the door and stumbled out of the car. Raizo was there instantly to help her.

"No! Get your hands off me."

Obviously wounded, Raizo stepped back.

"We're done, Raizo."

His brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I _mean_, this thing we had? You and I? It's over. So, just go. Go as _far_ away as you can go," she mocked, tone biting.

"Mika, please, let me explain."

"Just save it. I really don't want to hear it."

"But you don't understand."

"Oh, I understand perfectly. You're too rough and too tough to love anyone. You probably lost someone near and dear to your heart in the past and promised yourself that you'd never get that close to anyone ever again. But, wait! Then I came along. And you stuck by me, and you helped me through some _really_ tough situations. But! You still couldn't love me, could you?"

He didn't speak.

"Then, after I nearly get killed the _first_ time, you run off and leave. You know, something tells me that's not uncommon with you. Anyway, you leave me alone for a good three months. Completely isolate yourself from the world, it seems. Then, we meet again, because, well, I just can't keep my nosy self out of your damn business. Next, we fly to France where we meet your dear old pal Kenji. He's a doll, isn't he? Then, long story short, I nearly die a _second_ time, you _save_ me a second time, and here we are again. You sensing a pattern here? Every time you rescue me, the damsel in distress, you vanish. Why?"

"Because I—"

"Because you want what's best for me, because you 'love' me. So you say. But if you 'love' me so much, why don't you just stay! Who do you think this is making it easier for? _Me_? You are the only one I want to be with. The only one I _ever_ wanted to be with. You really want to rip my heart out again?" The pain in her voice was not hard to miss.

"I would never want to hurt you."

"Well you are!" she screamed. "You're tearing down all that we had. I was willing to give up everything for you, Raizo. Because that's what love is. Love is when you give up some things that you really like. Love is when you go the extra mile. Love is when you can pour out your heart and know that your partner will never betray you. Love is when you hit a rough patch, but together, you get through it. Love is when you can sit together for hours on end, barely speaking a word, but still have the time of your life. Love is when your partner enters a room and time seems to stop. Love is when the only person you can see is him. And that's barely scratching the surface. Now, I know that you probably have a dark past and all, but you have to let it go. I know that you probably experienced some terrible things—things that I could only experience in my most horrible of nightmares—but that's all in the past. How do you expect to heal if you don't move forward?"

"That's what I'm trying to do. All of this, with Ozunu and Tanjao, I'm trying to leave it in the past."

"Even if that includes me, huh?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"…Yes."

Mika scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. Leave."

"But you're so angry with me."

"What the hell did you expect? That I was just going to kiss you goodbye and pray to someday see you again five years down the road?"

_Well, yes, but I'm guessing that's not the answer she's looking for._

Mika turned her back to him. "Goodbye, Raizo."

"Is this the way you want things to end? In anger?"

"Of course not. But it can't really be helped, can it?"

He sighed. "I guess not." He stepped forward and hugged her from behind. He bent his head forward and kissed her cheek. "I do love you, Mika. With all of my heart. And though you probably don't believe me right now, please remember it."

She tried to wiggle free of his grasp, but he held her tight. "There are seven clans still out there. And if they come looking for me and see us together, then word will spread to Tanjao. Do you really want this whole ordeal to happen again?"

"…Well…no, but—"

"That is why it would be best if we separated. It doesn't mean that I love you any less or that I never want to see you again. It just means that I should stay away until things cool down a little."

He was being reasonable. He was being sensible. If anything, he was even being wise! But Mika was still frustrated and didn't feel like listening to reason.

"Okay?"

Jaw set and nose in the air, Mika remained silent.

Raizo hugged her close one last time and released her. She took a few steps away from him.

"At least let me give you a ride to the airport."

"I can make it on my own."

"Are you sure?"

"Just leave the details to me. I'll handle it," she mocked.

"…Okay, then. Well…see you later."

Mika used the back of her hand to wipe angry tears from her face. "Sure."

He lingered there, gazing at the back of her head for a moment. Then he got back into the car and drove away. Right on out of her life.

* * *

It took her a while, but Mika eventually made it to a gas station farther down the road. The clerk at the register gave her a wide-eyed, confounded look. She wasn't sure if it was her blood-shot, puffy eyes or the pints of blood absorbed in her dress. He offered to call the paramedics, but she politely declined and asked if she could use the phone instead. He gave it to her, wary expression on his face.

The phone rang twice.

"Maslow."

"Hey, Ryan. It's me, Mika. I need a favor."

She needed only wait an hour before a helicopter landed a few hundred feet away from the gas station and Europol agents along with Ryan stormed the place searching for her. She was given a change of clothes and was flown back to Berlin shortly after. On the ride there, she was informed that, in her absence, her job had been given to someone else. Ryan explained that he simply couldn't cover up for her for two months. Mika seemed indifferent to it all. Losing her job? That was nothing. Nothing compared to the pain that she had experienced just hours before. Being impaled with a sword, having her heart ripped out and stomped on. Now that was pain.

Ryan had tried to get some information out of her, but Mika remained silent. She remained silent the entire way back to Germany. She remained silent when the medics marveled at the amounts of blood on her person and nothing to prove that she had been injured but a scar just to the right of where her other one had been. She remained silent when Ryan gave her a ride home. She remained silent the entire while she was home. But when the sun fell and the moon rose, when she sullenly climbed into bed, she cried.

Raizo had broken her heart. Broken it into a million pieces. And though she knew she still loved him, she was done. She would no longer listen for news that might pertain to ninjas; she would no longer go snooping around in his files. She was going to completely forget about him. Forget him and all that they had been through. She was going to take her own advice.

She was going to leave him in the past.

-Fin-


End file.
